Lebanon: Israeli strike kills Reuters journalist and injures six others
Reuters video journalist Issam Abdallah was killed on 13 October by an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon, while providing video signal for broadcasters.
Six other journalists, including from Al Jazeera, Agence France-Presse and Reuters, were wounded in the same incident near Alma al-Shaab town, close to the Israeli border. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate, the Lebanese Journalists’ Syndicate, in condemning the killing of Abdallah and calls on the authorities to launch a thorough investigation. The IFJ restates that crimes against journalists must not go unpunished.
One of the injured reporters, working for AFP, said that the group was caught up in cross-border shelling, the French news agency has reported.
Two AFP journalists were taken to the hospital in the city of Tyre for treatment. Reuters said in a statement that two other journalists were wounded and released from the hospital, after receiving medical treatment. Al Jazeera confirmed that two of their reporters were also among the injured.
On 14 October, quoted by AFP, the Israeli military spokesman said :"We are very sorry for the journalist's death."
Anthony Bellanger, IFJ general secretary, said:
“We mourn the loss of journalist Issam Abdallah and send our condolences to his beloved ones. I strongly condemn this Israeli strike against journalists in Lebanon. It is particularly outrageous because all the journalists were clearly identified with “Press” bullet-proof jackets and helmets. In this context of war, which now extends to southern Lebanon, these colleagues were targeted because they were journalists.
"The IFJ demands that the Israeli perpetrators of these crimes be tried and punished before international criminal courts. Crimes against journalists must not go unpunished.”