GAZA, (PIC)-- IOF troops stationed at the Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing, on Thursday, physically assaulted Muhammad Omar, winner of 2008 Martha Gellhorn Journalism award, as he returned to Gaza from London where he received the award earlier this month.

Omar is a young journalist from the Rafah refugee camp and the correspondent of the Washington Report. He won the award jointly with American journalist Dahr Jamail who has been reporting for several years from Iraq.

He said that occupation soldiers at the border crossing made fun of him saying: "Oh' so it's you who won the journalism award" and ordered him to lie face down on the ground, then they stepped on his neck.

He added that such practices by the occupation will not hinder Palestinian success stories and that the assault on him was unlawful and will not terrorize him as he will continue to tell the world about the untold suffering of the Palestinian people.