Israeli shell kills Reuters Journalist in Lebanon-Israel border

Tragedy struck on the Lebanon-Israel border as an Israeli shell landed amidst a group of international journalists covering clashes in south Lebanon, resulting in the death of a Reuters’ videographer and injuring six other journalists.

The incident, witnessed by an Associated Press photographer on the scene, saw the body of Reuters videographer Issam Abdallah being rushed to the hospital, along with several wounded journalists. Images from the site revealed the aftermath of the explosion, including a charred car.

Reuters conveyed their deep sadness in a statement, announcing the loss of their videographer, Issam Abdallah. The news agency specified that Abdallah was part of a Reuters team in southern Lebanon responsible for live coverage.

In their official statement, Reuters added,

“We are urgently seeking more information, working with authorities in the region and supporting Issam’s family and colleagues.

“Our deepest condolences go out to those affected, and our thoughts are with their families at this terrible time.”

Additionally, two other Reuters journalists, Thaer Al-Sudani and Maher Nazeh, were injured during the shelling in the border area.

Qatar’s Al-Jazeera TV also reported that two of its employees, Elie Brakhya and reporter Carmen Joukhadar, were among the wounded. Agence France-Presse, the international news agency from France, revealed that two of its journalists were injured but did not release their names.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati promptly denounced Israel’s shelling, which struck the journalists while referring to it as an act during Israel’s aggression on southern Lebanon.

United Nations spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric described the tragic incident as “another example of the daily dangers journalists face in covering conflict throughout the world” and expressed the UN’s hope for a thorough investigation into the circumstances.

“Journalists need to be protected and allowed to do their work,” Dujarric emphasized during a UN briefing.

In response, Israel’s United Nations ambassador, Gilad Erdan, stated that the government would investigate the incident, expressing regret and sorrow over the incident.

Erdan acknowledged the complex situation, saying,

“We always try to mitigate and avoid civilian casualties. Obviously, we would never want to hit or kill or shoot any journalist that is doing its job.”

However, he noted that the state is in a state of war, and unforeseen events may occur. The details surrounding the incident are under investigation, with Erdan deeming it too early to draw conclusions.