ISLAMABAD: A Reuters journalist, Issam Abdallah, lost his life, and six other journalists from various media outlets, including Al-Jazeera, AFP, and AP, sustained injuries due to shelling by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.
A group of journalists from different media outlets found themselves in the midst of cross-border shelling while they were near Alma al-Shaab, close to the border with Israel. According to one of the wounded AFP correspondents, this incident occurred.
Reuters news agency confirmed on Friday the death of its videographer, Issam Abdallah, in the attack.
Reuters released a statement saying, “We are urgently seeking more information, working with authorities in the region, and supporting Issam’s family and colleagues.”
The statement also mentioned that two other Reuters journalists, Thaer Al-Sudani and Maher Nazeh, sustained injuries.
One of the wounded journalists shared a video on Instagram, clearly showing that they were all wearing their press identification.
International Outcry and Evacuation Warning in Gaza
Al Jazeera reported that cameraperson Elie Brakhya and reporter Carmen Joukhadar were among the injured individuals. They were clearly marked as press, and according to Al Jazeera correspondent Ali Hashem, the tank shell directly hit them, resulting in a horrific situation.
Furthermore, the Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency reported that two of its reporters sustained injuries. According to a Lebanese security source, the shelling was in response to an attempted infiltration of the Israeli border from southern Lebanon by a Palestinian faction.
The Associated Press (AP) also reported that an attack charred a nearby vehicleThe images from the location showed a charred car.
Lebanon’s Press Editors’ Syndicate condemned the “targeting” of journalists and also described the killing of Issam Abdallah as a “deliberate crime.”
As the ongoing conflict intensifies with heavy Israeli bombings in the Gaza Strip, followed by Hamas attacks, causing casualties, authorities have issued a warning for the evacuation of 1.1 million people in northern Gaza, urging them to relocate to the south.
