CNN reporter Diana Magnay was reassigned from coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict after calling a group of Israelis cheering their government’s bombardment of Hamas targets across the border in Gaza “scum” in a tweet on Thursday, the Huffington Post reports.
Magnay had just finished a televised report from a ridge overlooking the Gaza Strip in the southern Israeli city of Sderot, watching as Israeli forces bombarded the Hamas-controlled enclave in support of a ground invasion.
The reporter appeared a bit uncomfortable with the throng of Israelis who, after days of dodging Hamas rockets and running for air raid shelters, had turned out to watch the bombing.
“There are lots of Israelis gathered around who are cheering when they see these kinds of Israeli strikes,” she told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on Thursday. “And it is an astonishing, macabre and awful thing to watch this display of fire in the air.”
30 minutes later, Magnay sent out this tweet:
The tweet was quickly deleted, and Magnay posted no more message on Twitter.
On Friday morning, the Huffington Post reported that CNN had reassigned Magnay to Moscow following outrage over the tweet.
“After being threatened and harassed before and during a liveshot, Diana reacted angrily on Twitter,” a spokeswoman said, adding she “deeply regrets the language used” and “certainly meant no offense to anyone beyond that group.”
“She and CNN apologize for any offense that may have been taken,” the spokeswoman concluded.