New York, January 29 (RHC)-- The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said “escalating violence” against journalists in the occupied West Bank must end, following a report that an Israeli soldier hit a New York Times reporter with a loaded rifle during a raid on the home of a Palestinian released as part of a prisoner exchange.

Before journalist Aaron Boxerman could identify himself as a journalist, the soldier used the muzzle of his rifle to hit him in the rib cage, leaving a large bruise, the newspaper reports.

The same soldier also pointed his rifle at a second New York Times journalist, Natan Odenheimer, after he had identified himself as a journalist, the report added.

The details of the attack on Saturday were included in an article published by The New York Times, describing the Israeli raid on the family home of the released Palestinian prisoner Ashraf Zughayer on the outskirts of Jerusalem.

The article did not refer to what happened to the reporters until the 13th paragraph.