Israeli strike on media compound kills three journalists in Lebanon

An Israeli strike on the southeastern Lebanese town of Hasbaya hit a compound where journalists were staying, killing three media workers and wounding three others.

Pan-Arab channel Al Mayadeen said that Ghassan Najar, one of its camera operators, and broadcast technician Mohammed Rida were killed in the strike.

Additionally, Hezbollah's Al Manar TV said that its own camera operator, Wissam Qassim, was also killed.

Journalists gathered in the town as it was deemed relatively safe after the Israeli army escalated its attacks on other locations in southern Lebanon.

“The Israeli enemy is clearly scared of words,” said Al Jadeed reporter Mohammad Farhat in a video from the guest house following the strikes. “It is also scared of the Lebanese voice, the voice of justice that is exposing its crimes.”

“We are bidding farewell to one colleague after the other due to these Israeli crimes,” he added.

At least 18 journalists from seven different outlets were staying at the compound, according to Lebanese Information Minister Ziad Makari, who described the attack as a "war crime".

The strikes hit at around 3am, while journalists were sleeping.

Cars parked beside the buildings that were hit had the word “press” clearly marked on them in English.

استشهاد الزميلين في قناة «#الميادين» المصوّر غسان نجار ومهندس البث محمد رضا والزميل في قناة «#المنار» المصوّر وسام قاسم في العدوان الإسرائيلي على مقر إقامة الصحافيين في حاصبيا #جنوب_لبنان pic.twitter.com/04q25klEDz

— جريدة الأخبار - Al-Akhbar (@AlakhbarNews) October 25, 2024

While many nearby towns and villages have been severely damaged by Israel's invasion of south Lebanon, Druze-majority Hasbaya had largely been spared from the fighting between Hezbollah and Israel.

Following the strike, the BBC reported that journalists believed the area to be safe as they would inform local UN peacekeeping forces of all their movements to and from the compound. The UN forces would then inform "all relevant parties".

Israel’s war on Lebanon has killed over 2,500 people in the country since 8 October 2023, most of them since the start of a widespread Israeli bombing campaign last month.

Israel has also killed at least 12 Lebanese journalists in the past year, nine of them since September, according to the Samir Kassir Eyes Center for Media and Cultural Freedom.

Israel has killed at least 177 journalists in Gaza, according to the enclave's media office.

This week, the Israeli military claimed, without credible evidence, that six of the remaining journalists in northern Gaza are members of Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which rights groups said put their lives at risk.

"We no longer need to wear the [press] vest or even the helmet because these are just slogans that the Israeli enemy does not submit to or respect," said Farhat while reporting live for Al Jadeed.