“It is important and appropriate that the circumstances of this strike be fully and exhaustively investigated. “I understand that Israel has launched such an investigation, and it will be important for it to be completed so that we can see the results,” Blinken said Thursday at a joint news conference with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron.
On Thursday, Agence France-Presse (AFP) published the results of its investigation into the incident, conducted jointly with Airwars, a non-governmental organization that investigates attacks against civilians in conflict situations.
The investigation indicates that the attack on the journalists on October 13 was carried out by a 120 mm tank shell, used by the Israeli army only in this region.
The investigation showed that the attack probably came from the southeast, near the Israeli village of Jordeich, where Israeli tanks were operating.
At the time of the attack, journalists gathered near the Lebanese border village of Alma al-Shaab to film footage of nearby border fighting between Israeli troops and Lebanese militants.
Reuters and AFP reported that the journalists were clearly identified as members of the press wearing bulletproof vests and helmets.
According to news agencies, the group was hit by the first tank shell, quickly followed by a second. Reuters journalist Issam Abdalla died instantly and two of his colleagues and an AFP journalist were injured. AFP photographer Christina Assi, 28, remains in hospital after her leg was amputated.
“We condemn the murder of Issam,” Reuters editor-in-chief Alessandra Galloni said in a statement. “We call on Israel to explain how this could have happened and to hold accountable those responsible for his death and the injuries suffered by AFP’s Christina Assi, our colleagues Tahir al-Sudani and Maher Nazeh, and three other journalists.” . “Issam was a brilliant and passionate journalist who was much loved at Reuters.”
Reuters cameraman Issam Abdallah, who died on October 13, holds a kitten as he poses for a photograph in Saaid, Lebanon, July 4, 2023.
Reuters quoted Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, as saying: “We do not attack journalists.”
AFP global news director Phil Chetwynd called on Israel to provide a clear explanation for what happened. “The attack on a group of journalists who were clearly identified as members of the media is inexplicable and unacceptable,” Chetwynd said.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) conducted its own investigation into the attack and said Thursday that its findings “indicate that the journalists were located far from the fighting, were clearly identified as members of the media, and remained motionless for at least 75 minutes.” before they were hit by two successive attacks.”
HRW said there was no evidence there was a military target near where the journalists were working and that the attacks “were clearly deliberate attacks against civilians, which constitutes a war crime.”
Amnesty International also analyzed the attack and concluded that “this was most likely a direct attack against civilians that should be investigated as a war crime.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a press conference on Thursday expressed gratitude to journalists who risk their lives to gather information in hotspots. “I have extraordinary admiration for the men and women of your profession who, every day around the world, in some of the most dangerous places on the planet, try to bring facts and stories to other people,” Blinken said.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron also highlighted the important role of journalists, especially those working in conflict zones. Cameron said it was “absolutely essential that these conflicts are covered by independent, impartial, professional journalists”.
