Latest news with #Kilani
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
BBC reporters say IDF detained them in Syrian buffer zone for seven hours
Feras Kilani, a BBC Arabic journalist, claimed that he and his team were detained, strip-searched and interrogated by the IDF. A team of seven BBC staff members claimed they were detained, strip-searched and interrogated by the IDF in the Syrian buffer zone in a report published Thursday. Feras Kilani, a BBC Arabic journalist, said that on May 9, he and his team, comprised of himself, two Iraqi BBC staff, one Syrian BBC cameraman, and three Syrian freelancers, left Damascus with the intention of moving toward the Syrian buffer zone. The team was filming near a United Nations observation post by al-Rafeed when they were informed a nearby IDF unit had inquired about them, being told they were a BBC crew. Kilani and his team later drove toward Quneitra and saw Israeli tanks and soldiers nearby. One member of the group showed his BBC ID to IDF soldiers watching through binoculars from a nearby tower. The crew began filming, but were quickly approached and surrounded by IDF soldiers and told to place their camera on the ground. Kilani claimed that after sending a message to his BBC colleagues in London that the military had stopped them, their phones and equipment were confiscated, and 'things escalated unexpectedly quickly.' Additional soldiers arrived to search the BBC team's vehicle, and the group was then escorted to the crossing point between Quneitra and the Golan Heights. There, the IDF reviewed the team's footage while they say in their car, 'while one pointed his rifle at my head from metres away.' Two hours later, Kilani was asked to talk on the phone to a man who 'spoke broken Arabic' and asked why they were filming IDF positions, to which Kilani explained that he was a British BBC journalist and explained his work. After an additional hour, IDF security personnel arrived with blindfolds and zip ties, and an officer led Kilani to a private room, telling him that he would be treated 'better' than his team, without blindfolds or zip ties. 'I was in shock. I asked why they were doing this when they knew we were a BBC crew. He said he wanted to help get us out quickly and that we had to comply with their instructions,' Kilani wrote. Over the course of two hours, each member of the team was individually strip-searched in the private room and interrogated, including personal questions, and were returned with their hands still bound but no longer blindfolded. During the interrogations, IDF soldiers examined the team's phones and laptops, deleting many photos, including personal ones. An officer then threatened them with 'worse consequences' if they approached forces from the Syrian side, adding that they would be tracked down if any hidden footage was published. After roughly seven hours, the team was led by two IDF vehicles over one mile outside Quneitra, and the soldiers threw the phones back before leaving. 'Lost in the dark with no signal, no internet, and no idea where we were, we kept driving until we reached a small village,' Kilani wrote, adding that the group received directions from a group of local children who warned that 'a wrong turn could draw Israeli fire.' According to Kilani, it took them 10 minutes to find the road and an additional 45 minutes to reach Damascus. The BBC has complained to the IDF about what happened, but the military has not responded.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
BBC Condemns Israel After IDF Soldiers Strip-Searched & Detained Journalists At Gunpoint
The BBC has revealed that three of its journalists were detained at gunpoint by the Israel Defense Forces while they were reporting in southern Syria. The BBC said the incident, which took place on May 9, was 'wholly unacceptable' and it has made a complaint to Israeli authorities. The UK national broadcaster said it is yet to receive a response. Deadline has contacted the Israeli military for comment. More from Deadline BBC & RTÉ Order Two Seasons Of Aidan Gillen-Starring Comedy Crime Drama 'Tall Tales & Murder' From Chris Addison & Stuart Carolan Trump Launches Punitive Biden Probe, New Travel Bans, But Still Silent On Elon Musk's "Kill Bill" Attack On Agenda BBC Defends Itself & Calls For "Support" From White House After Donald Trump Administration Accuses Broadcaster Of Taking Down Gaza Story BBC News Arabic correspondent Feras Kilani, a British citizen, was among the seven people held. Two other Iraqi BBC staff were part of the group, as well as three Syrian freelancers. They were in Syria to report on the demilitarised buffer zone seized by Israel following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime. Kilani described how they were apprehended by Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint near Quneitra city and detained for seven hours. In a piece on the BBC News website, he recalled how he was strip-searched and grilled about his children and their ages. He recalled a gun being pointed at his head. 'I was in shock. I asked why they were doing this when they knew we were a BBC crew,' he said. '[The lead officer] said he wanted to help get us out quickly and that we had to comply with their instructions.' Kilani said his colleagues were tied up and blindfolded, describing it as a 'horrific scene.' They were also taken to a room to be strip-searched and questioned. Kilani added that their phones and laptops were examined, and photos were deleted. He claimed they were told there would be 'worse consequences' if they approached the area again. In a statement, the BBC said: 'The BBC strongly objects to the treatment of our staff and freelancers in this way. Despite making clear to the soldiers on multiple occasions they were working for the BBC, the behaviour they were subjected to is wholly unacceptable.' Best of Deadline 'Stick' Soundtrack: All The Songs You'll Hear In The Apple TV+ Golf Series 'Nine Perfect Strangers' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out? 'Stick' Release Guide: When Do New Episodes Come Out?
Daily Record
5 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Record
BBC crew blindfolded and held at gunpoint by Israeli forces in southern Syria
The seven member team, including British correspondent Feras Kilani were told that Israeli personnel had asked questions about their identity before the incident. A BBC Arabic news crew have claimed they were detained at gunpoint by Israeli forces while reporting in southern Syria in an incident which BBC has described as "wholly unacceptable" treatment of its journalists. The seven member team, including British correspondent Feras Kilani, two Iraqi BBC staff, and four Syrian colleagues, say they travelled from Syrian capital Damascus to the southern province of Deraa, planning to head towards the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, reports the BBC. The group wanted to report from Syrian territory - now under Israeli control - following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's December declaration of indefinite Israeli presence in a demilitarised buffer zone. As they filmed near a UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) post outside al-Rafeed, the crew was told by a UN official that Israeli personnel had asked about their identity and had been told they were press from the BBC. Shortly after, as they approached the buffer zone near Quneitra, the team encountered an unguarded checkpoint flanked by Israeli Merkava tanks. Israeli soldiers observed them from a nearby tower. As the journalists began filming, a white vehicle crossed from the Israeli side with four soldiers emerging, surrounding the crew and aiming rifles at their head. Despite showing press credentials and explaining they were BBC journalists, the situation quickly escalated. The soldiers seized phones and equipment, searched the team's vehicle, and transferred them into the city of Queneitra. At a checkpoint dividing Queneitra and the occupied Golan, the crew was held for several hours. Kilani recalled one soldiers who held a rifle aimed at his head from close range while others reviewed footage from their confiscated devices. He was then forced to speak to an unidentified man over the phone, who questioned their activities in broken arabic. Later, a second group of security personnel arrived carrying blindfolds and plastic zip ties. Kilana was separated from the team and took into a derelict room for a strip search and interrogation. The officer reportedly told him he would be treated differently and without restraints . However, he was still forced to strip down to his underwear. He was asked about his family and the purpose of his reporting. Meanwhile, the other members of the team experienced similar treatment. Kilani described seeing his colleagues bound and blindfolded before they were interrogated one by one. Personal photos and data was also deleted from their devices. More than seven hours later, at around 9pm, the group was released in a remote area abouy 2km outside Quneitra. Their phone were thrown to the ground before the Israeli vehicle left. The group was left disorientated and without signal, but eventually reached a nearby village where residents directed them back to the highway. In a statement, the BBC said: "On Friday 9 May whilst filming in Southern Syria, BBC News Arabic correspondent Feras Kilani, along with two other BBC staff members and four freelance colleagues, were detained for seven hours and held at gunpoint by the Isreal Defense Forces (IDF). "The team have described how they were tied up, blindfolded, strip searched, interrogated and threatened. Their electronic devices were also taken from them and material was deleted. "The BBC strongly objects to the treatment of our staff and freelancers in this way. Despite making clear to the soldiers on multiple occasions they were working for the BBC, the behaviour they were subjected to is wholly unacceptable. "We have registered a complaint with the Israeli military but are yet to receive a response."
The National
5 days ago
- Politics
- The National
BBC issues statement after correspondent ‘strip searched' by IDF
On Thursday, the BBC revealed that their Arabic correspondent Feras Kilani and two staff members, alongside freelance journalists, were held for seven hours while filming in southern Syria in early May. The broadcaster said Kilani and staff had described being "tied up, blindfolded, strip searched, interrogated and threatened" by Israeli soldiers. The journalists also had their electronics confiscated and "material was deleted". READ MORE: Neal Ascherson: Gazans paying the price for Israel's military failure The broadcaster said it had registered a complaint with the IDF but had not received a response. The statement reads: "On Friday 9 May whilst filming in Southern Syria, BBC News Arabic correspondent Feras Kilani, along with two other BBC staff members and four freelance colleagues, were detained for seven hours and held at gunpoint by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). "The team have described how they were tied up, blindfolded, strip searched, interrogated and threatened. "Their electronic devices were also taken from them and material was deleted." "The BBC strongly objects to the treatment of our staff and freelancers in this way. Despite making clear to the soldiers on multiple occasions they were working for the BBC, the behaviour they were subjected to is wholly unacceptable. "We have registered a complaint with the Israeli military but are yet to receive a response." The IDF has been contacted for comment.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Lifelong student,' Bowdoin College grad to work for State Department
May 25—Bowdoin College graduate Khalil Kilani navigated international systems as an Iraqi refugee as a young child. Now, he hopes to help families like his by shaping humanitarian policy and diplomacy in the U.S. Department of State. "My family lived through that system, and going through that and seeing how it's successful, and how it can work for people, and [we've been] interacting with international organizations since we were young," said Kilani, who was born in Jordan but resettled in Portland in 2009. Kilani, a Bowdoin computer science major and government minor, received the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Graduate Fellowship, which will fund him through two years of graduate school at Columbia University and culminate in a placement at the State Department. Kilani's undergraduate experience took him to Peru, Denmark and Washington, D.C., and down to Arizona to learn about the Mexico-U.S. border. Kilani said hands-on programs, like Bowdoin's Public Service in Washington trips and a summer internship at the State Department, further solidified his interest in diplomacy. "Being able to work with diplomats and combine my passion for service work, for learning languages, for meeting new people — it was really the intersection of all of that," Kilani said. Kilani has worked with the McKeen Center for the Common Good throughout his time in college and traveled to Peru in 2022 with the program. There, he taught English, helped renovate a school for disadvantaged children and built a fundraising campaign to help residents sell alpaca wool. His love for language has also served him well as an alumni ambassador at the Portland-based youth writing organization, The Telling Room, which he also attended as a high school student. Wendy Van Damme, associate director for public service at the McKeen Center, said Kilani's "good judgement, thoughtful guidance and commitment to excellence" have strengthened the center's programs and "inspired many students to explore public service." "Khalil served as a summer intern at the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, the office that years ago supported his own family's journey," Van Damme said. "He is pursuing a career in diplomacy, which will use his skills as much as his kindness. Through everything he does, Khalil reminds us that a life in service to others is both possible and powerful." Batool Khattab, Bowdoin Arabic professor, noted that Kilani also won the college's Prize for Excellence in Arabic this year. "I have known Khalil since his first year at Bowdoin, when he enrolled in my Elementary Arabic class," Khattab said. "Over the years, I've seen him grow into a focused and capable young man, ready to take on opportunities beyond college. Khalil has shown consistent dedication to both his academic work and his extracurricular responsibilities." At Columbia, Kilani will earn his master's of international affairs with a focus on international security and diplomacy. Traveling the world and learning about new cultures for a living is like staying in school forever, Kilani said. "I love being a lifelong student," Kilani said. Kilani was set to graduate along with a class of 520 students on May 24. Commencement took place on the Main Quad at Bowdoin. This year's honorary degree recipients were Michele Cyr, the former chairperson of the Bowdoin College Board of Trustees and Jeremy Frey, a Passamaquoddy basket weaver. Presenting the commencement addresses were poet and 2025 graduate Weatherspoon — the recipient of the Goodwin Commencement Prize — and graduate Carina Lim-Huang, who won the Class of 1868 Prize for her speech. Copy the Story Link
