In a recent airstrike, Israelis killed three journalists and wounded three others in southeastern Lebanon. According to the witnesses, the attack targeted a guesthouse within a compound identified as one of the places known for hosting journalists from various media organizations, including Al-Manar TV and Al Mayadeen TV. There were marked “press” signs for vehicles in the compound. Nonetheless, no prior warning of a strike was given, according to the reporters, based on eyewitness accounts.
The attack was condemned by Lebanon’s information minister, Ziad Makary, whom described it as “a war crime,” adding that it was intentional and that Israel aimed at targeting journalists in a premeditated operation. This is after the Israeli warplanes have bombarded different targets in southern Lebanon; these attacks were one of the escalations directed against Hezbollah. So far, no statement has been issued by the Israeli military regarding the incident.
The building housed journalists from seven media outlets, and according to reports, it had been recognized as a compound media facility by Israeli and Hezbollah forces. Youmna Fawwaz, a reporter for MTV Lebanon, described the building as “obliterated,” with ceilings collapsing and rubble covering the area following the attack at dawn.
This leads Israel to further intensify its strikes in Lebanon, where more than 1,700 airstrikes have been noted within the last few weeks, and a UN peacekeeping force, the UNIFIL, was even forced to retreat from its observation posts in the south because shelling persisted. International media reports state that Israeli bombing in south Lebanon for just two weeks has destroyed so much infrastructure that over 3,600 buildings are affected, according to satellite imagery. The Lebanese health authorities say that 2,600 people have been killed in the conflict since late September.
This escalation in southern Lebanon comes after the first day of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, following Hamas’s attack on Israel in October-an event that greatly spurted escalated conflict across the region.
