A Reuters video journalist was reportedly killed on Friday in the southern Lebanon after caught up in a cross-border shelling that left another six injured. Issam Abdallah, a video journalist from the news agency, was providing live reports on the week-old Israel-Hamas war when missiles “from the direction of Israel” hit him, said Reuters. As the war surpassed a week now, at least 11 journalists – nine Palestinians, one Lebanese, and one from Israel – lost their lives in the war, reported the New York Times.
The Israel military on Saturday informed Reuters that, they are aware of the ‘miserable incident’ from the southern Lebanon and an investigation on the concerned matter is on process. The army is now cross-verifying the available visuals from the purported area, Reuters reported. The news agency also validates that six other journalists were injured on Friday following the Israel air strikes. Two of the journalists sustained with injuries are identified as Thaer Al-Sudani and Maher Nazeh, and are under treatment.
Israeli military: Examining death of Reuters journalist in Lebanon https://t.co/hOmm2TR9i1 pic.twitter.com/0Cuz8lp438
— Reuters (@Reuters) October 14, 2023
According to the New York Times, at least 11 journalists lost their lives in the devastating Israel-Hamas war which surpassed a week-time, leaving thousands dead and wounded on both the sides. The death count was confirmed by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
CPJ reports 11 deaths, two missing and two injured cases of journalists from the first seven days of the fighting. Devastating ariel strikes from the Israeli military, mass evacuations and extensively disrupted communication and power facilities made the reporting an enormously dangerous activity. As per the CPJ reports;
- Issam Abdullah – The video journalist from Reuters was killed during a shelling attack near the Al-Shaab in the Lebanon border on October 13.
- Ahmed Shehab – A journalist for Sowt Al-Asra Radio (Radio Voice of the Prisoners) was killed in the Israel air strikes along with his wife and three children on October 12.
- Mohamed Fayez Abu Matar – A freelance photojournalist, was killed during an Israeli airstrike in Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip on October 11.
- Saeed al-Taweel – The Editor-in-chief of the Al-Khamsa News website, was killed when Israeli warplanes struck an area which houses several media outlets in Rimal district in western Gaza on October 9.
- Mohammed Sobh and Hisham Alnwajha – Journalist’s from the Khabar News Agency who were killed in the Rimal district air strike on October 9.
- Assaad Shamlakh – A freelance journalist, was killed along with nine members of his family in an Israeli airstrike on their home in Sheikh Ijlin, near to the southern Gaza Strip on October 8.
- Yaniv Zohar – An Israeli photojournalist who worked for the Israeli Hebrew-language daily newspaper Israel Hayom, was killed during a Hamas attack on Kibbutz Nahal Oz in southern Israel on October 7.
- Mohammad Al-Salhi – a photojournalist working for the Fourth Authority news agency, was shot dead near a Palestinian refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, on October 7.
- Mohammad Jarghoun – A journalist with Smart Media, was shot while reporting on the conflict in an area to the east of Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip on October 7.
- Ibrahim Mohammad Lafi – A photojournalist for Ain Media, was shot and killed at the Gaza Strip’s Erez Crossing into Israel on October 7.
Since the start of the Israel-Gaza conflict, CPJ documented 11 killed journalists.
We are investigating reports of journalists killed, injured & missing as the conflict widened to #Lebanon and Israel launched ground raids into the blockaded Gaza Strip.https://t.co/D9Tm6rNxmb
— Committee to Protect Journalists (@pressfreedom) October 13, 2023
Reuters on October 10 issued an official statement confirming the death of Issam Abdallah. They were working with the authorities of the Lebanon border and extended support to Mr Abdallah’s family and colleagues to deal with and to overcome the “terrible time”.
— Reuters Press Team (@ReutersPR) October 13, 2023