Israeli Airstrike in Southeast Lebanon Kills Three Journalists, Local Media Reports

An Israeli airstrike struck a compound in southeast Lebanon housing several journalists, resulting in the deaths of three media workers, according to Lebanon's state-run National News Agency.

Local broadcaster Al Jadeed aired footage from the site in Hasbaya, showing damaged buildings and dust-covered vehicles marked “PRESS.”

Among those killed in the early Friday strike were Ghassan Najar, a camera operator, and Mohammed Rida, a broadcast technician for Beirut-based pro-Hezbollah Al-Mayadeen TV. Al-Manar TV, affiliated with the Hezbollah group, confirmed that their camera operator, Wissam Qassim, was also killed. No prior warning was issued by the Israeli military before the airstrike.

Footage captured by Ali Shoeib, an Al-Manar correspondent, showed him at the scene, stating that the area was known to host journalists from various organizations. Shoeib expressed that journalists covering the impact of the Israel-Lebanon border conflict had themselves become casualties of the ongoing violence.

The Hasbaya region had previously avoided much of the conflict seen along the Lebanon-Israel border, though the nearby town of Marjayoun experienced sporadic strikes in recent weeks. Earlier, an airstrike reportedly targeted an Al-Mayadeen office on the outskirts of Beirut.

Since hostilities began along the Lebanon-Israel border in October 2023, multiple journalists have died, including two Al-Mayadeen reporters in a November 2023 drone strike and Reuters videographer Issam Abdallah in October.

Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have grown since October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led forces attacked southern Israel, resulting in significant casualties and kidnappings. In response, Israel launched a broader offensive into Gaza and later expanded military actions to Lebanon, including a ground invasion on October 1. As of Thursday, Lebanese health authorities report the death toll in Lebanon has reached 2,593.