Israeli Airstrike Kills Three Journalists In Southern Lebanon

At least three journalists were killed Friday morning by an Israeli air strike in Hasbaya, southern Lebanon.

Lebanon’s health ministry and local media have reported that several others were also wounded by the strike, which they have said took place early on Friday morning as the journalists slept in a guesthouse traditionally used by media professionals.

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Reuters reports that the journalists killed were camera operator Ghassan Najjar, engineer Mohamed Reda of the Lebanese pan-Arabist satellite news television channel Al-Mayadeen, and camera operator Wissam Qassem, who worked for the Hezbollah-backed Al-Manar.

According to Reuters, at least 18 journalists from six international media outlets, including Sky News, Al-Jazeera, and Lebanese broadcasters, were staying at the property. Lebanon’s information minister said the attack was deliberate and described it as a “war crime.” The Israeli military has yet to comment but has previously denied targeting journalists.

Five reporters had been killed in prior Israeli strikes in Lebanon, including 37-year-old Reuters video journalist Issam Abdallah. He was killed instantly by an Israeli tank shell in October 2023. This morning’s attack comes as violence in Lebanon expands between Israel and Hezbollah. Lebanese authorities have recorded over 1,700 air strikes across the country in the past three weeks, according to the BBC. Israel has launched a ground invasion of the country and has intensified air strikes.

Hasbaya is about five miles from the Israeli border, according to Reuters, which reports the town is home to Muslims and Christians. In recent weeks, the town has seen attacks on its outskirts but this is the first strike on the settlement itself. In Gaza, where Israel continues its military campaign, more than 42,000 people are said to have been killed and 97,000 have been wounded. An Israeli airstrike on a school building in central Gaza killed at least 17 people this week. Nine children were among the 17 killed, with more than 52 injured, the BBC reported.

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