Journalists' protective vests inside a destroyed car at the site of an Israeli strike in Hasbaya, southern Lebanon, which killed three journalists, Oct. 25, 2024. (Credit: Ali Hankiri/AFP)
The car, prominently marked “PRESS,” is in ruins. Inside, there are several blue protective vests, also marked as belonging to members of the media. This was the scene on Friday morning, in front of a vacation village in Hasbaya where 18 Lebanese journalists, photographers and cameramen were staying, and which was hit by the Israeli army on Thursday night without warning.
Three of them, Lebanese, were killed: A cameraman and a technician from the Al-Mayadeen channel, close to the Iranian axis, and a photographer from Al-Manar, the Hezbollah TV channel. Several of their colleagues from various Lebanese and regional media were injured.
This Israeli strike, denounced as “deliberate” against the press and described as a war crime by outgoing Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and by Reporters Without Borders, is the latest to claim media victims. Since Oct. 13, 2023, when Reuters videographer Issam Abdallah was killed by Israeli tank fire, 11 other journalists have been killed by Israel.
Here's a chronological look back at the Israeli bombings that claimed the lives of journalists in Lebanon.
Oct. 25, 2024: Ghassan Najjar, Mohammad Reda and Wissam Kassem
At 3:30 a.m., an Israeli air strike hit a vacation village in Hasbaya, southern Lebanon, where 18 journalists representing seven media outlets were staying, according to outgoing Information Minister Ziad Makari. Wissam Kassem, cameraman for Al- Manar, Ghassan Najjar and Mohammad Reda, respectively the cameraman and technician for Al-Mayadeen, were killed in the bombing, while at least seven other journalists suffered “various injuries.” The strike was widely condemned in Lebanon and described as a war crime by the political authorities.
Oct. 23, 2024: Ali al-Hadi Yassine
Ali al-Hadi Yassine, cameraman for Al-Manar, was killed in one of the Israeli night raids on Beirut's southern suburbs. That same evening, an Israeli raid targeted an office of the Al-Mayadeen channel in Ouzai, where no journalists were present at the time of the strike. The channel had previously evacuated its premises in Beirut, according to a source contacted by L'Orient-Le Jour. On the evening of Oct. 24, Al-Manar announced the death of its cameraman in the introduction to its news program, without giving further details of where he had been killed.
Oct. 16, 2024: Mohammad Ghadboun
Mohammad Ghadboun, a freelance photographer and journalist working for a Yemeni TV station, was killed in an Israeli strike on the town of Qana (Sour district). The strike killed more than 15 people.
Oct. 16, 2024: Mohammad Bitar
Mohammad Bitar, journalist and communications officer for the municipality of Nabatieh, was killed in Israeli strikes targeting the headquarters of the municipality in this southern Lebanese town. At least 16 other people, including the president of the municipal council, were killed in the bombardments. They were gathered in the local serail to prepare aid for those who had stayed behind.
Oct. 11, 2024: Hussein Safa
Hussein Safa was a photographer for the Hawana Lebanon website. He was killed in a night-time Israeli bombardment targeting Mayfadoun (Nabatieh). He was originally from Zibdin, according to the official National News Agency (NNA).
Sept. 25, 2024: Kamel Karaki
Kamel Karaki was a photojournalist and cameraman for Al-Manar for 25 years. He died in an Israeli strike on his home in the village of Qantara (Marjayoun).
Sept. 23, 2024: Hadi al-Sayyed
Hadi el-Sayyed was a journalist for Al-Mayadeen. He died in an Israeli attack on his home in Srifa (Sour), on the first day of Israel's “Northern Arrows” operation, the expanded offensive against Lebanon. More than 500 people were killed in massive Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon and the Bekaa on this day alone.
Nov. 21, 2023: Farah Omar and Rabih Maamari
Farah Omar was Al-Mayadeen's correspondent in the south. She was in Tayr Harfa (Sour) with Rabih Maamari, photographer and cameraman for the channel, when they were killed in an Israeli air strike while covering armed clashes in this border area. Their guide, Hussein Aqil, was also killed that day.
Oct. 13, 2023: Issam Abdallah
Issam Abdallah, photographer and videographer for Reuters, was the first journalist to be killed by Israel in the current war in southern Lebanon, six days after the start of the Gaza war. He was hit by two Israeli tank shells while in the village of Alma Shaab (Sour) with a group of journalists from various media. Six other reporters, two from Reuters, two from Qatar's Al-Jazeera and two from Agence France-Presse (AFP), were wounded: Thaer al-Soudani, Maher Nazeh, Carmen Joukhadar, Elie Brakhia, Dylan Collins and photographer Christina Assi, whose right leg had to be amputated. Independent investigations by Reuters, AFP, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International concluded that Israeli 120 mm tank shells were used. The Israeli armed forces, who say they have been investigating for a year, have still not given their conclusions.
This article was translated from L'Orient-Le Jour.
