Nassar pledges to 'personally follow up' on cases of Israeli attacks on journalists

Justice Minister Adel Nassar pledged Tuesday to “personally follow up” on the cases of journalists killed and wounded in Israeli strikes and gunfire in Lebanon during the war between Hezbollah and Israel.

Nassar made the commitment while meeting with a delegation of families of slain reporters, along with several journalists injured while covering the war. On Oct. 9 of this year, the Lebanese government tasked the Justice Ministry with exploring possible legal action against Israel following attacks on journalists.

Since Oct. 8, 2023 — the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah — 13 journalists have been killed in Lebanon, including one after the cease-fire reached last November. The victims included both local and international reporters, such as Reuters photographer Issam Abdallah, who was killed on Oct. 13, 2023.

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Over a year of deadly Israeli attacks on journalists in Lebanon

During Tuesday’s meeting, the families and injured journalists described the physical, psychological and financial toll of Israeli attacks on media workers covering the conflict.

Pushing investigations forward

Nassar underscored “the importance of journalistic work and its national role,” reaffirming that “the Lebanese state recognizes the sacrifices of journalists who reported the truth with courage and responsibility.” He pledged to “personally follow up on the case and consider legal measures to move the investigations forward,” and promised “ongoing dialogue with families to ensure tangible progress.”

Those present thanked the minister for “his positive reception and for holding this meeting, which they described as the first of its kind between victims and relevant government officials.” They expressed hope that he “will champion their cause and help deliver justice by holding those responsible for attacks on journalists accountable.”

Two years after the Israeli strike that killed Abdallah and wounded his colleagues in Alma al-Shaab, U.N. Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Executions Morris Tidball-Binz called for justice, saying the strike amounted to a “war crime.”

In March 2024, Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s government announced that Lebanon would grant the International Criminal Court jurisdiction to prosecute crimes committed on Lebanese soil since Oct. 7, 2023 — a decision it reversed the following month.