Israeli airstrike in south Lebanon kills 3 journalists as they sleep

BEIRUT (AP) — An Israeli airstrike killed 3 journalists arsenic they slept astatine a guesthouse successful southeast Lebanon early Friday, a uncommon onslaught connected an area that had truthful acold been spared nan hostilities successful nan remainder of nan region.

It was nan latest successful a bid of Israeli attacks against journalists covering nan warfare successful Gaza and Lebanon successful nan past year.

The 3 a.m. airstrike turned nan tract — a bid of guesthouses nestled among trees that had been rented by various media outlets covering nan warfare — into rubble, pinch cars marked “PRESS” overturned and covered successful particulate and debris. The Israeli service did not rumor a informing anterior to nan strike, and later said it was looking into it.

Those killed were camera usability Ghassan Najjar and broadcast technician Mohammed Rida of nan Beirut-based pan-Arab Al-Mayadeen TV, and camera usability Wissam Qassim, who worked for Al-Manar TV of Lebanon’s Hezbollah group. It came aft a onslaught earlier successful nan week that deed an agency belonging to Al-Mayadeen connected nan outskirts of Beirut’s confederate suburbs. Both outlets are aligned pinch Hezbollah and its main backer, Iran.

The onslaught successful nan Hasbaya region, which had truthful acold been spared from nan Israeli airstrikes pummeling different parts of southbound Lebanon, drew wide condemnation from officials, journalists and property defense groups. TV crews had arrived successful Hasbaya, deeming it safer aft Israel had ordered an removal bid for a municipality further southbound from which they were reporting.

“That is why we see it a nonstop targetting, aimed astatine getting nan journalists retired of nan south,” said Elsy Moufarrej, coordinator for nan Alternative Press Syndicate successful Lebanon. “They want to forestall nan journalists from covering and having beingness successful nan southbound of Lebanon.”

Lebanese Information Minister Ziad Makary said nan journalists were killed while reporting connected what he called Israel’s “crimes,” and noted they were among a ample group of members of nan media.

“This is an assassination, aft monitoring and tracking, pinch premeditation and planning, arsenic location were 18 journalists coming astatine nan location representing 7 media institutions,” he wrote successful a station connected X.

Imran Khan, a elder analogous for Al Jazeera English who was among nan journalists successful nan Hasbaya Village Club guesthouses, said nan airstrike deed astatine astir 3:30 a.m. without warning.

“These were conscionable journalists that were sleeping successful furniture aft agelong days of covering nan conflict,” he posted connected societal media, adding that he and his squad were unhurt.

Hussein Hoteit, a cameraman for Egypt’s Al-Qahira TV, said he was sleeping erstwhile he woke up to a “huge weight” arsenic nan walls and ceiling collapsed. He was miraculously saved by colleagues who managed to move nan debris covering him fewer minutes later.

He said 2 missiles deed nan chalet adjacent door, though he didn’t perceive them. He said from his infirmary furniture wherever he is being treated for thigh injuries.

Friday’s deaths are nan latest successful a agelong list of journalists who person been killed by Israel successful nan past twelvemonth successful Gaza and Lebanon.

In a study earlier this month, nan Committee to Protect Journalists said astatine slightest 128 journalists and media workers, each but 5 of them Palestinian, had been killed successful Gaza and Lebanon — much journalists than person died successful immoderate twelvemonth since it started documenting journalist killings successful 1992. All of nan killings isolated from 2 were carried retired by Israeli forces, it said.

“One twelvemonth in, Israel’s behaviour of nan warfare successful Gaza has exacted an unprecedented and horrific toll connected Palestinian journalists and nan region’s media landscape,” it said successful nan study released Oct. 4.

The killing of journalists has prompted world outcry from property defense groups and United Nations experts, though Israel has said it does not deliberately target them.

Lebanon’s Health Minister says complete nan past twelvemonth 11 journalists person been killed and 8 wounded by Israeli occurrence successful Lebanon.

In November 2023, two journalists for Al-Mayadeen TV were killed successful a drone strike. A period earlier, Israeli shelling successful confederate Lebanon killed Reuters videographer Issam Abdallah and wounded different journalists from France’s world news agency, Agence France-Presse, and Qatar’s Al-Jazeera TV.

This week, Israel accused journalists moving for Al Jazeera of being members of militant groups, citing documents it purportedly recovered successful Gaza. The web has denied nan claims arsenic “a blatant effort to soundlessness nan fewer remaining journalists successful nan region.”

The Committee to Protect Journalists has dismissed them arsenic well, and said that “Israel has many times made akin unproven claims without producing reliable evidence.”

Jad Shahrour, spokesperson for nan Samir Kassir Eyes Center for Media and Cultural Freedom, told The Associated Press Friday that bombing property centers is simply a deliberate effort to obliterate nan truth.

“It intends they are establishing a media blackout,” he said, adding that it was a troubling inclination that is now shifting from Gaza to Lebanon.

Al-Mayadeen’s director, Ghassan bin Jiddo, alleged that nan Israeli onslaught Friday was intentional and directed astatine those covering elements of its subject offensive.

Ali Shoeib, Al-Manar’s well-known analogous successful southbound Lebanon, was seen successful a video filming himself pinch a cellphone saying that nan camera usability who had been moving pinch him for months was killed. Shoeib said nan Israeli subject knew that nan area that was struck housed journalists of different media organizations.

“We were reporting nan news and showing nan suffering of nan victims and now we are nan news and nan victims of Israel’s crimes,” Shoeib added successful nan video aired connected Al-Manar TV.

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Karam reported from London. Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue successful Beirut contributed.