October 13 (Reuters) – A Reuters video journalist was killed and six other journalists were injured in southern Lebanon on Friday when they were hit by missiles fired from the direction of Israel, according to a Reuters videographer who was at the scene.
The group of journalists, including from Al Jazeera and Agence France-Presse, was working near Alma al-Shaab, near the Israeli border, where the Israeli army and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia were exchanging fire in border clashes.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and a Hezbollah MP blamed the incident on Israel.
The Israeli army did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Israel’s envoy to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, said in a press conference on Friday: “It is clear that we would never want to beat, kill or shoot any journalist who is doing his job. But as you know, we are in a state of war, things may happen.” He added that the country would conduct an investigation.
Reuters said in a statement that Issam Abdullah was killed while providing a live video signal to broadcast stations. The camera was pointed at a hillside when a loud explosion rocked the camera, filling the air with smoke, and screams were heard.
Reuters said, “We are deeply saddened to learn of the killing of videographer Issam Abdullah.”
“We are urgently seeking further information, working with authorities in the area, and supporting Issam’s family and colleagues.”
Reuters said that two other Reuters journalists, Thaer Al-Sudani and Maher Nazih, were injured in the accident and were released from the hospital after receiving medical care.
Nazih said that Reuters and the two other media organizations were filming missile launches coming from the direction of Israel when one of them hit Abdullah as he was sitting on a low stone wall near the rest of the group. Seconds later, another missile hit the car the group was using, setting it on fire.
While other media outlets, including the Associated Press and Al Jazeera, said the missiles were Israeli, Reuters was unable to determine whether Israel actually fired the missiles.
Agence France-Presse said that two of its journalists were injured.
[1/5]Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah holds a kitten while taking a photo in Saidia, Lebanon on July 4, 2023. Reuters/Emily Madi/Archive photo Obtaining licensing rights
The Qatari-funded Al Jazeera channel said that two of its journalists were also injured in the incident and were clearly journalists. She blamed Israel for the incident, saying that everyone behind this criminal act must be held accountable.
Al Jazeera said in a statement, “The broadcast vehicle was bombed and completely burned, despite the presence of our team near the rest of the international media crews in an agreed-upon location.”
The village of Alma al-Shaab has been the scene of repeated clashes since the outbreak of war in the south between Israel and Hamas, a Palestinian militia with close ties to Hezbollah.
Hamas militants burst out of the Gaza Strip a week ago and launched a deadly attack on Israeli civilians and soldiers, triggering a heavy bombardment of Gaza.
In an interview with Reuters, Fatima Qansouh, Abdullah’s mother, blamed Israel for her son’s killing.
She added: “Israel deliberately killed my son. They were all dressed as journalists and the word ‘press’ was clearly visible. Israel cannot deny this crime.”
Shortly before Abdullah was killed, he posted on social media a photo of himself wearing a helmet and bulletproof vest with the word “press” on it.
The IDF did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Ganso’s statements.
“We always try to mitigate and avoid civilian casualties,” Erdan, Israel’s envoy to the United Nations, told reporters at a news conference.
“We feel sorry for them. We feel sorry. We will investigate it. Right now, it’s too early to know what happened there,” he said.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, the peacekeeping unit that patrols Lebanon’s border with Israel, said it was saddened by the news and called for a ceasefire.
“The possibility of this escalation spiraling out of control is clear and must be stopped,” she said in a statement.
Edited by Mark Bendich and Edward Tobin
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