Palestinian journalists protest against wounding of photojournalist; Israeli forces fire tear gas

To disperse Palestinian journalists protesting against the wounding of their colleague by apparent Israeli fire, sparked outcry among media workers in the occupied West Bank. Israeli forces in Bethlehem fired tear gas at protestors.

Palestinian photojournalist Muath Amarneh has been in Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem since he got an injury in the eye on Friday while covering a protest in Surif, close to Hebron.

Amarneh said that he was covering the protest when he was struck by what he believes was Israeli fire.

He said that he was standing to the side wearing a flak jacket with press markings and a helmet, and suddenly he felt something hit his eye."I thought it was a stone or a rubber bullet. But when I put my hand to my eye I found nothing, I couldn't see and my eye was completely gone", said he.

Amarneh said the doctors at the hospital told him a fragment of metal, about two centimetres long, pierced the eye and settled behind it near the brain. He said the doctors planned to extract the metal but decided after discovering they could also damage the right eye or even trigger bleeding in the brain.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas spoke to Amarneh on a phone call and condemned shooting and ensure him to get the best medical care for his injury.