Monday , 06 January 2025
Israeli forces have expanded their offensive from Gaza to Lebanon, plunging the region into yet another devastating episode of war. The conflict, which began on October 8, 2023, was initially confined to southern border areas but escalated on September 23, 2024, spreading to much of Lebanon, including the capital, Beirut. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, the unprecedentedly violent airstrikes have claimed 3,516 lives and left 14,929 injured. More than 1.4 million people have been displaced, particularly from South Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and the southern suburb of Beirut.
Journalists Under Attack: Targeted and Silenced
The deliberate targeting of civilians and media crews has made Lebanon a flashpoint where journalists’ safety is under severe threat. The same forces that, according to the Samir Kassir Foundation’s SKeyes Center for Media and Cultural Freedom, killed over 200 journalists and photographers in Gaza, have shown a relentless determination to silence those documenting their actions. This serves as a stark warning: media crews are now in Israel’s crosshairs.
Lebanese journalists have faced immense challenges since the onset of the conflict. The Samir Kassir Foundation has identified 150 journalists and photographers who have been forced to flee their homes in areas bombed—or likely to be bombed—such as South Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and the southern suburb of Beirut. These journalists are grappling with significant psychological pressure, financial hardship, and serious security risks, including the threat of injury or death while covering the war. Despite these dangers, many lack access to essential safety training or protective equipment, such as helmets and bulletproof vests, leaving some to work in perilous conditions without adequate protection.
War Crimes Against Media Professionals
Over recent months, journalists have risked their lives on the front lines, where the Israeli army has indiscriminately targeted civilians, paramedics, soldiers, fighters, and media crews. The situation has become increasingly dire, with deliberate attacks against journalists occurring in multiple locations. Such actions constitute war crimes and represent a blatant disregard for the protections afforded to journalists under international humanitarian law. Journalists are granted the same protections as civilians under the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their additional protocols. Article 79 of the First Additional Protocol explicitly states that journalists working in areas of armed conflict are to be treated as civilians and must not be targeted. Any deliberate attack on them constitutes a violation of these conventions and is classified as a war crime. Moreover, such crimes also contravene the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which penalizes war crimes, including the intentional targeting of civilians such as journalists.
Since the war began in October 2023, the Israeli army has committed multiple war crimes against Lebanese media crews, deliberately targeting them in various locations. This relentless campaign of violence underscores the urgent need for protection for journalists in Lebanon, akin to their colleagues in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli forces, displaying a blatant disregard for press badges, have killed 13 journalists and photographers to date. These include Reuters photographer Issam Abdallah; Al-Mayadeen TV correspondents Farah Omar and videographer Rabih Maamari; Al-Mayadeen Online journalist Hadi Al-Sayed; former Al-Manar TV cameraman Kamel Karaki; Al-Manar TV videographer Wissam Qassem; Al-Mayadeen TV videographer Ghassan Najjar and broadcast technician Mohammad Reda; freelance photographer Zeinab Ghosn and her family members; Al-Nour Radio journalist Soukaina Kawtharani and her two children; Al-Manar TV cameraman Ali Al-Hadi Yasseen; Hawana Lebanon photographer Hussein Safa; and photographer Mohammad Bitar. Some of these journalists were killed while covering events, despite wearing bulletproof vests and helmets clearly marked with “PRESS.” Others were killed in their homes. Israel’s targeting of journalists also included the deliberate bombing of a hotel compound housing journalists in Hasbaya while they slept
Israeli strikes not only killed journalists but also claimed the lives of their family members. In another heinous incident, an Israeli drone deliberately struck journalist Samir Ayoub’s car, wounding him and killing his nieces and their grandmother. These acts are part of a calculated effort to intimidate journalists, silence them, and prevent them from documenting and exposing the Israeli army’s daily atrocities against civilians.
Despite overwhelming evidence of these crimes, no legal action has been taken against the Israeli army. Six independent investigations—conducted by Reporters Without Borders, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)—examined the Alma Al-Shaab strikes on October 13, 2023, which killed photographer Issam Abdallah and injured several others. Drawing on dozens of photos and videos from nearby journalists, satellite images, expert analyses, and eyewitness accounts, the investigations unanimously concluded that the Israeli army deliberately targeted the journalists twice, fully aware of their identity. Yet, no official Israeli inquiry has been conducted. The Israeli army spokesperson, Richard Hecht, offered only a cursory statement: “We do have footage and photos. We are investigating. It is tragic.” More than a year later, the Israeli military has released no updates or findings from this supposed investigation.
Several reporters and photojournalists narrowly escaped airstrikes, including the head of the Photojournalists’ Syndicate, Ali Alloush, as well as photographers Haitham Moussawi, Hassan Ammar, and Bilal Jawish, who were covering the shelling on the Mreijeh neighborhood. Reporters such as MTV’s Nakhlé Odaimeh, Al-Arabiya’s Nahed Youssef, Al-Jazeera’s Issam Mawassi, and Al-Jadeed’s Rif Akil survived attacks while reporting from Yaroun. Even foreign media teams were not spared; the Swedish Aftonbladet team, comprising correspondent Magnus Falkehed and photographer Jerker Ivarsson, narrowly survived an airstrike near Al-Zahraa Hospital in Beirut’s southern suburbs. Many others were injured, including journalists Thaer Al-Sudani, Maher Nazeh, Carmen Joukhadar, and Youmna Fawaz, as well as photographers Khodor Markiz, Hassan Hoteit, Zakaria Fadel, Elie Brakhia, Dylan Collins, and Christine Assi.
The Israeli army has also destroyed journalists’ equipment and vehicles, and fired live ammunition at media crews, further demonstrating its intent to suppress reporting. These actions not only endanger individual journalists but also violate the public’s fundamental right to access information, particularly during conflict. Such tactics highlight the broader strategy of targeting media professionals as a means of obstructing transparency and accountability in war zones.
Intimidation Through Threats and Smear Campaigns
Social media smear campaigns and direct threats have accompanied physical violations against journalists, further aiming to intimidate and silence them. Al-Akhbar field correspondent Amal Khalil received death threats on WhatsApp from an Israeli number, warning her to leave the country because of her coverage of the war in South Lebanon. The chilling message read: “I suggest you flee to Qatar or elsewhere if you’re keen on keeping that head on your shoulders.” Additionally, the Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee published several social media posts targeting Lebanese journalists, spreading false information and misleading narratives to discredit them in the eyes of public opinion. These posts often sought to undermine journalists due to their political affiliations or fieldwork. One such example was Al-Mayadeen correspondent Ali Mortada, who was forced to leave several locations he attempted to report from, fearing he would become a target.
Israeli warplanes have also targeted and destroyed media buildings and offices, issuing a clear warning to media outlets. Among the destroyed sites were the Assirat channel building in the southern suburb of Beirut, the Taha TV building, a facility housing the old Al-Manar studios, and the Al-Mayadeen channel office in Jnah. These deliberate attacks are an unmistakable message aimed at silencing these media organizations.