Israeli forces target TRT crew covering attacks on Palestinians at Al Aqsa

Israeli forces have once again targeted a TRT crew, keeping up the regime's unfounded attacks against journalists on the ground.

"Encouraged by the applause of its patrons, Israel once again targeted Palestinians who wanted to perform Friday prayers in the Al Aqsa Mosque and our TRT Haber team," TRT Director-General Mehmet Zahid Sobaci wrote on X following the attack.

"As TRT, we will never refrain from publicising the unlawful acts of occupying Israel that trample all human values," he added.

The attack came as the team from Türkiye's public broadcaster TRT was covering violations of Israeli forces against innocent Palestinians who gathered for Friday prayers at the Al Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem.

The forces then targeted the TRT Haber team.

Cameraman Omar Awwad was injured in the attack, while reporter Mucahit Aydemir's phone was forcibly confiscated and the images on his phone were deleted.

Israeli forces then removed the TRT Haber crew from the area and did not allow them to continue their broadcast.

'Vile and cowardly'

The Directorate of Communications of the Republic of Türkiye, Fahrettin Altun, strongly condemned the "vile and cowardly attack" against the TRT Haber team.

"As we continue to show and tell the world about Israel's barbarities and massacres, Israel's persecution of journalists, whose duty it is to pursue the truth, increases even more," he wrote on X.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry also condemned the attack, wishing a speedy recovery to Awwad, and extended get-well wishes to the TRT family.

“We see that Israel has not realized for months that it cannot conceal the truth by attacking journalists,” the ministry said in a statement.

“Brave and honorable journalists will continue to resolutely report the oppression happening in Palestine to the whole world, and our Ministry will stand by them in this struggle,” it added.