Reuters video journalist Issam Abdallah was killed and six other journalists were injured when they were hit by rockets allegedly fired from the direction of Israel in southern Lebanon. The incident occurred near Alma al-Shaab, near the Lebanese-Israeli border, where the Israeli army and Hezbollah militia have been engaged in border clashes.
An Associated Press photographer at the scene reported seeing Issam Abdallah’s body and injured journalists, including those from Al Jazeera and Agence France-Presse, being taken to hospitals. Images from the area showed a charred vehicle.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Hezbollah lawmakers blamed Israel for the incident. However, Israel’s UN envoy Gilad Erdan expressed regret, saying: “Of course we would never want to hit, kill or shoot any journalist who is doing his job. But you know, we are in a state of war, things can happen,” and Israel will investigate the incident.
Reuters confirmed that Issam Abdallah was killed while providing a live video signal for broadcast stations. Two other Reuters journalists, Thaer Al-Sudani and Maher Nazeh, were also injured in the incident but were released from hospital after receiving medical treatment. Reuters has expressed its deep sorrow and is working to gather more information and support Issam’s family and colleagues.
While the AP and Al Jazeera said the shells were Israeli, Reuters said it could not confirm whether the rockets were actually fired by Israel. AFP said two of its journalists were injured, and Al Jazeera said two of its journalists, Elie Brakhya and reporter Carmen Joukhadar, were injured, clearly identified as press.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his condolences to the journalists’ families and stressed the need to protect journalists and investigate the incident. Journalists and human rights activists in Lebanon also gathered to mourn the loss and injuries of their colleagues.
The incident occurred during a firefight along the Lebanese-Israeli border following Saturday’s attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas in southern Israel. Continued sporadic violence in the region underscores the dangers journalists face when reporting from conflict areas.
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