Reuters Journalist Killed in Missile Strike Near Israel-Lebanon Border
A missile strike in southern Lebanon, believed to have originated from Israel, tragically killed a Reuters video journalist and injured six other reporters on Friday. The journalists, representing various news outlets including Al Jazeera and Agence France-Presse, were reporting near Alma al-Shaab, close to the Israel border. This area has recently seen heightened tensions and exchanges of fire between the Israeli military and Hezbollah, a Lebanese militia.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and a Hezbollah representative have attributed the missile strike to Israel. However, Israel's U.N. envoy, Gilad Erdan, emphasized that Israel never intentionally targets journalists and mentioned that investigations into the incident would be conducted.
The deceased journalist, Issam Abdallah, was broadcasting live when the missile struck. Reuters expressed their grief over the loss and are actively seeking more details about the incident. Two other Reuters journalists were injured but have since been released from the hospital.
Maher Nazeh, one of the injured Reuters journalists, recounted that they were filming missile fire from Israel's direction when a missile hit Abdallah. Shortly after, their vehicle was also struck by another missile and set ablaze. While some news agencies have attributed the missiles to Israel, Reuters has yet to confirm this.
Both Agence France-Presse and Al Jazeera reported injuries to their journalists, with Al Jazeera emphasizing that their team was clearly identifiable as press and held Israel responsible for the attack.
The village of Alma Al-Shaab has been a hotspot for conflict, especially since the recent war between Israel and Hamas, a Palestinian militia closely aligned with Hezbollah.
Fatima Kanso, Abdallah’s mother, expressed her grief and anger, stating that her son and the other journalists were clearly marked as press, making it evident that Israel was responsible for the attack.
Israel's U.N. envoy, Erdan, reiterated Israel's commitment to avoiding civilian casualties and expressed regret over the incident.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, responsible for patrolling the border between Lebanon and Israel, expressed their sorrow over the incident and emphasized the urgent need to halt the escalating conflict.