Reuters journalist killed, six wounded in Israeli strike on Lebanon

A Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah has been killed and six other journalists from different media outlets including Al-Jazeera, AFP and AP were wounded in shelling by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.

A group of journalists from different media outlets were near Alma al-Shaab close to the border with Israel when they were caught up in cross-border shelling, one of the two wounded AFP correspondents said.

The Reuters news agency confirmed on Friday that its videographer Issam Abdallah was killed in the attack.

Reuters said in a statement, “We are urgently seeking more information, working with authorities in the region, and supporting Issam’s family and colleagues,”

It said that two other Reuters journalists, Thaer Al-Sudani and Maher Nazeh, had sustained injuries.

The Israeli army targeted a group of journalists including AlJazeera’s crew, a colleague from another agency was killed and two of our colleagues at Aljazeera were injured, along with several others.

— Ali Hashem علي هاشم (@alihashem_tv) October 13, 2023

Ali Hashem said in another message, “This video is from the instagram of one of the journalists who were injured in the Israeli attack. It shows clearly that they were all clearly wearing their kits.”

This video is from the instagram of one of the journalists who were injured in the Israeli attack. It shows clearly that they were all clearly wearing their kits. pic.twitter.com/dYRQVO7iUA

— Ali Hashem علي هاشم (@alihashem_tv) October 13, 2023

Al Jazeera said cameraperson Elie Brakhya and reporter Carmen Joukhadar were among those wounded.

“The tank shell hit them directly. It was horrible. The situation over there was – I can’t explain, I can’t describe it,” Al Jazeera correspondent Ali Hashem reported from Alma ash-Shaab, Lebanon, adding that the team of reporters had been clearly marked as press.

The Agence France-Presse new agency said two of its reporters were among those injured. AFP reported, citing a Lebanese security source, that the shelling followed an attempted infiltration of the Israeli border from southern Lebanon by a Palestinian faction.

The Associated Press said a nearby vehicle was left charred by the attack, citing a photographer who was present.

An Associated Press photographer at the scene saw the body of Reuters videographer Issam Abdallah and the six who were wounded, some of whom were rushed to hospitals in ambulances. Images from the scene showed a charred car.

Lebanon’s Press Editors’ Syndicate condemned the “targeting” of journalists and described the killing of Abdallah as a “deliberate crime”.

Israel has been heavily bombing Gaza Strip followed by Hamas attacks, killing some 1,800 people and warned 1.1 million people in northern Gaza to evacuate to the south.