Israel-Hamas war: Reuters journalist killed, six others wounded in Israeli strike

A Reuters video journalist got killed and six other scribes belonging to two other International media houses suffered injuries in an Israeli missile strike on Friday. Reuters confirmed the death of Issam Abdallah and said it working with authorities to seek more details regarding the strike. 

Quoting a journalist who was at the scene, Reuters reported that the journalists who were reporting from Southern Lebanon got killed in a missile strike fired from the direction of Israel. The journalists were working near Alma al-Shaab, a place close to the Israel border. “ Issam Abdallah had been killed while providing a live video signal for broadcasters. The camera was pointed at a hillside when a loud explosion shook the camera, filling the air with smoke, and screams were heard,” Reuters said in a statement.

“We are deeply saddened to learn that our videographer, Issam Abdallah, has been killed. We are urgently seeking more information, working with authorities in the region, and supporting Issam’s family and colleagues,” Reuters said in a statement. Two journalists each of Reuters, AFP and Al Jazeera, who were reporting along with Abdallah suffered injuries in the strike. 

Maher Nazeh, a Reuters journalist who was at the scene said they were filming missile fire coming from the direction of Israel when one struck Abdallah as he was sitting on a low stone wall near the rest of the group. “Seconds later, another missile hit the car being used by the group, setting it aflame”, Reuters reported quoting Nazeh. 

 Abdallah’s mother Fatima Kanso charged her son was wearing ‘Press’ gear and Israel killed him. 

In a statement, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon said, “As tensions continue to mount perilously, UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Aroldo Lázaro urgently calls to stop firing. The potential for this escalation to spiral out of control is clear, and it must be halted.”

The US State Department said it was gathering information regarding the attack on journalists and Abdallah’s death. In a statement, Al Jazeera said  Israeli forces had once again attempted to silence the media by targeting journalists. “Israel’s targeting of the Al Jazeera team is a blatant disregard of international safety standards that clearly distinguish the press, as they shelled and burned an Al Jazeera broadcast vehicle despite our crew’s presence alongside other international media in an agreed upon location,” it said.

When asked about the strikes, Gilad Erdan, Israel’s representative to the UN said, “We regret them. We feel sorry. And we will investigate it. Right now, it's too early to call what happened there.”