The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) expressed outrage on Friday after an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon killed two journalists and a media worker, injuring at least three others. The CPJ is calling for an independent investigation to determine whether the journalists’ compound was intentionally targeted.
The October 25 airstrike struck a compound in the Hasbaya region that housed 18 journalists from multiple media outlets. The attack killed Ghassan Najjar, a camera operator for Al-Mayadeen TV; Mohammed Reda, a broadcast engineer; and Wissam Kassem, a camera operator for Hezbollah-owned Al-Manar TV.
“We are appalled by yet another deadly Israeli airstrike on journalists,” said CPJ Program Director Carlos Martinez de la Serna. “Deliberately targeting journalists constitutes a war crime under international law. This incident demands an independent investigation, and those responsible must be held accountable.”
Footage aired by local news station Al Jadeed showed scenes of devastation, with collapsed buildings and vehicles marked “Press” covered in dust and rubble. Mohammed Farhat, a correspondent for Al Jadeed, posted a video of his bed covered in debris from the strike.
Lebanon’s information minister, Ziad Makary, condemned the attack, calling it a “war crime” and alleging that it was a deliberate act. “This is an assassination, carried out after monitoring, tracking, and prior planning, as there were 18 journalists from seven media institutions at the location,” Makary stated.
