Israeli Airstrike Claims Lives of Three Journalists in Southern Lebanon

Israeli Airstrike Claims Lives of Three Journalists in Southern Lebanon

An Israeli airstrike targeting accommodation in Hasbaya, southern Lebanon, has resulted in the deaths of three journalists, with three others injured. The Lebanese Ministry of Health confirmed the incident on Friday.

As tensions rise along the Israel-Lebanon border, Lebanese Minister of Information Ziad Makary condemned the attack as an “assassination” and a “war crime.”

In a statement on X, Makary accused the Israeli forces of waiting until the journalists were resting at night to carry out the strike. He emphasized that the journalists had been actively reporting on the ongoing conflict, alleging that the airstrike was a “premeditated” attack, given that 18 journalists from seven media organizations were present at the location.

Makary stated, “The Israeli enemy waited for the journalists to rest at night to betray them in their sleep. For months, they have continuously covered the news and revealed the described crimes.”

He further declared, “This was an assassination, following monitoring and tracking, with a deliberate intent, as 18 journalists from seven media organizations were on-site. This is a war crime.”

He paid tribute to the deceased journalists—Ghassan Najjar, Muhammad Reda, and Wissam Qassem—offering condolences to their families and their respective institutions, particularly Al-Mayadeen and Al-Manar TV channels.

In related news, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reported that ten soldiers were killed during recent clashes in Lebanon. However, the IDF clarified that these fatalities did not occur within the last 24 hours, and families of the fallen soldiers had already been informed.