Three Journalists Killed in Israeli Airstrike on Media Outpost in Southern Lebanon

 

Three journalists affiliated with Hezbollah-backed networks, Al Mayadeen and Al-Manar, lost their lives, and several others were injured in an Israeli airstrike on their press base in Hasbaya, southern Lebanon, early Friday morning.

The targeted location, a group of chalets housing 18 journalists from various outlets including Al Jazeera, Sky News Arabia, and TRT, served as temporary accommodation while covering the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Vehicles marked with "Press" signs were parked outside the site. Among those killed were Wissam Qassem, an Al-Manar camera operator, Al Mayadeen correspondent Ghassan Najjar, and Mohammad Reda, a technician for Al Mayadeen.

Lebanon's Information Minister, Ziad Makary, condemned the incident as a war crime, emphasizing that political affiliations should not compromise journalists' civilian status under international humanitarian law. The incident brings Israel’s journalist-related fatalities in Lebanon since October 8 to twelve, including Reuters photographer Issam Abdallah, whose death was previously reported to have been caused by an Israeli tank strike.

The airstrike struck around 3:30 a.m. local time, while most journalists were asleep. Sky News Arabia correspondent Darine El Helwe, who was on-site during the incident, recounted the scene, noting that the chalet had collapsed on her fellow journalists. Hasbaya had been considered a safer base compared to areas further south, which had experienced more intense Israeli bombings, but the attack raises concerns about the security of media personnel covering the region.

El Helwe warned of the attack's chilling effect on journalists, suggesting that Israel may be attempting to limit the broadcast of images showing ongoing strikes and conflicts. She noted, “If they wanted to target us, they could have done so while we were on the road. But to attack us in our sleep?”

In recent months, Israel has also targeted Al Mayadeen’s Beirut office and accused six Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza of association with militant groups. The Committee to Protect Journalists reports that 125 journalists have died since the Israel-Gaza conflict reignited last year. Al Jazeera has dismissed the allegations against its journalists as unfounded, urging the international community to safeguard their safety.