On October 13, 2023, Israeli army strikes on a group of 7 journalists in south Lebanon, which killed Reuters journalist Issam Abdullah & injured 6 others.

This appears beeing a direct attack on civilians that must be investigated as a war crime.

Chronology of Events

Before the Attack

Around 5:00 PM, a group of seven journalists gathered near the village of Alma al-Chaab, Tyre governorate, in southern Lebanon. They were reporting on hostilities near the Lebanese-Israeli border, filming ongoing clashes between Israeli forces and Hizbullah.The group included journalists from Reuters, AFP, and Al Jazeera.

Surveillance by Israeli Forces (5:00–6:00 PM):

Israeli surveillance assets, including an Apache helicopter and possibly a drone, circled above the area for over 40 minutes before the attack. The group was stationary, giving Israeli forces ample time to identify them as civilians and journalists.

First Strike (6:02 PM):

An Israeli tank fired a 120mm round (likely an M339 projectile) from positions near Jordeikh in Israel. Issam Abdallah (Reuters) was killed instantly while sitting on a stone ledge. Christina Assi (AFP) suffered severe injuries, losing her leg.

Second Strike (6:03 PM):

A second projectile, 37 seconds later, likely a guided missile, struck near the journalists, hitting the Al Jazeera car, which caught fire. The explosion caused additional injuries, including to Dylan Collins (AFP) wounded by shrapnel, Carmen Joukhadar (Al Jazeera) suffering of severe shrapnel injuries, Elie Brakhya (Al Jazeera) suffering of a crushed shoulder and severe arm injuries, Maher Nazeh and Thaier Al-Sudani (Reuters) suffering of shrapnel injuries.

Aftermath

Survivors scrambled to assist each other amid the chaos. Verified videos showed injured journalists and the burning Al Jazeera car.

Victims and Impact:

Killed:

• Issam Abdallah (Reuters)

Injured:

• Christina Assi (AFP): Lost one leg.
• Dylan Collins (AFP): Shrapnel wounds.
• Maher Nazeh (Reuters): Shrapnel injuries.
• Thaier Al-Sudani (Reuters): Injuries on the left side of the body.
• Carmen Joukhadar (Al Jazeera): Shrapnel wounds.
• Elie Brakhya (Al Jazeera): Severe arm injuries and shoulder damage.

Weapons used by Israli Army :

The weapons used in the attack on the journalists in south Lebanon on October 13, 2023, were analyzed by Amnesty International:

120mm Tank Round: The first strike, which killed Issam Abdallah and severely injured Christina Assi, was identified as a 120mm tank round, most likely an M339 projectile, fired from Israeli positions near the villages of Al-Nawaqir and Jordeikh. This type of weapon was manufactured by the Israeli company IMI Systems. An AFP investigation conducted with Airwars, showed that the first strike involved a 120-milimeter tank shell only used by the Israeli army in this region. Amnesty and Human Rights Watch also concluded that the first strike that killed Abdallah and severely wounded Assi was most likely a tank round fired from Israel.

Small Guided Missile: The second strike, which occurred 37 seconds after the first, hit near an Al Jazeera vehicle, causing it to catch fire. This weapon was likely a small guided missile, though the exact model and launch platform could not be identified.

Amnesty International Lab investigation shows :

• Amnesty International’s investigation included over 100 verified videos, photos, witness interviews, and forensic analysis.

• The journalists were clearly identifiable as civilians, wearing press vests and positioned in an open, visible location. Journalists wore helmets and flak vests marked “press”. Vehicles were visibly marked, with one car labeled “TV”. The location was an open hill with clear visibility, devoid of any military presence.

• An Israeli Apache helicopter and drone surveilled the area for over 40 minutes before the strikes.

• Two strikes occurred 37 seconds apart, the first involving a 120mm tank round, likely an M339 projectile, and the second a small guided missile.

• No evidence of military objectives or fighters was found in the journalists' vicinity.

Other investigations

For its investigation, Reuters worked with the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), an independent research institute which works with the Dutch defense ministry. The probe pointed to "the tail fin of a 120 mm tank round fired by a smoothbore tank gun positioned 1.34 km away from the reporters, across the Lebanese border."

It analyzed evidence from the scene, satellite images and hours of footage, including footage from Italian broadcaster Rai "that showed the launch point of the second strike as well as the tank round in flight, and the audio of the firing and the impact of both rounds taken from Al Jazeera's live feed." "Using the Al Jazeera audio, TNO calculated the interval between the sound of the two strikes and the thud of the muzzle blasts to determine that the firing point was 1,343 metres away from the reporters, (..) It said the sound signatures from the strikes matched, showing they were both tank rounds fired from the same position." It determined they originated from an Israeli military outpost in Jordeikh next to the border.

Reuter statement after investigation (Dec 2023)

According to Reuters editor-in-chief Alessandra Galloni, "The evidence we now have, and have published today, shows that an Israeli tank crew killed our colleague Issam Abdallah," (...) "We call on Israel to explain how this could have happened and to hold to account those responsible for his death and the wounding of Christina Assi of the AFP, our colleagues Thaier al-Sudani and Maher Nazeh, and the three other reporters,"

IDF Statements and Denial:

Israeli UN Envoy Gilad Erdan stated: “We would never want to hit or kill any journalist... but you know, we’re in a state of war.” The Israeli military announced the incident was “under review.”. One years later, this war crime stays unpunished and no investigation result was communicated to the victims.

Sources :

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