Israeli forces accused of killing Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah in Lebanon

Reuters, a global news agency, has accused Israeli forces of killing one of its journalists, Issam Abdallah, and injuring six others in Lebanon on October 13. In a detailed report published today, Reuters claimed that the journalists could be clearly identified as press personnel. The report, titled “Israeli tank fire killed Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah in Lebanon,” presented an expert examination of the evidence from the ground.

According to the report, at the time of the attack, seven reporters from various media outlets were broadcasting live from the area. They were all wearing blue flak jackets and helmets with “PRESS” written on them. Despite being clearly identified as journalists, the Israeli military allegedly fired a shell at them, killing Issam and knocking out Reuters’ live feed. The report also mentioned that Al Jazeera’s camera was toppled, capturing the screams of the wounded journalists.

The evidence pointing towards Israel’s involvement in the attack included shrapnel and tail fin recovered near Issam’s body, satellite images, audio recordings, photographs, and video footage. The report emphasized a “pattern of attack on journalists” and called for Israel to provide a clear explanation.

The October 13 attack was allegedly the first of two strikes on reporters in Lebanon by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) within six weeks. The second strike reportedly resulted in the deaths of two journalists from Lebanese broadcaster Al Mayadeen on November 21. Al Mayadeen blamed the IDF for their deaths.

Since October 7, at least 63 journalists have been killed in the Israel-Hamas conflict, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Of these, 56 were Palestinians, four were Israelis, and three were from Lebanon. The death toll among journalists increased after Israel resumed its bombing of Gaza following a seven-day “humanitarian pause.” Since December 1, at least five journalists have been killed.

These journalists, who risk their lives to report on the horrors of war, have families and lives outside of their work. The targeting of journalists, who are clearly identified as media personnel, is deemed both inexplicable and unacceptable by media organizations and journalists themselves. The international community is calling for a thorough investigation into these attacks on journalists and for those responsible to be held accountable.