Reuters Videographer Killed By Israeli Shelling
A Reuters videographer was killed and six other journalists injured in southern Lebanon when missiles fired from the direction of Israel struck them.
According to Reuters, videographer Issam Abdallah was killed on Friday evening as he and a group of international journalists were working near the village of Alma al-Shaab in south Lebanon.
Our Reuters colleague Issam Abdallah @LbIssam was killed by an Israeli airstrike in south Lebanon. Issam was the best, the funniest and the smartest. I’m in utter shock. Journalism is not a crime and targeting journalists and witnesses of history is hideous. RIP brother! pic.twitter.com/CHazNBukgT
— Mai Shams El-Din (@maishams) October 13, 2023
The village is close to the Israel border, where the Israeli military and Lebanese militia Hezbollah have been trading fire in border clashes. The journalists were covering the exchange of fire along the border when an Israeli shell landed on them.
In a statement, Reuters says that Abdallah was killed while working as part of a crew providing a live video signal of the air strikes 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.
On Saturday, Abdallah was laid to rest in his hometown of Khiam, Lebanon in a funeral procession attended by hundreds of people including journalists and lawmakers .
— Reuters Press Team (@ReutersPR) October 13, 2023
“We are deeply saddened to learn that our videographer, Issam Abdallah, has been killed,” Reuters says in a statement.
“We are urgently seeking more information, working with authorities in the region, and supporting Issam’s family and colleagues.
“Our deepest condolences go out to those affected, and our thoughts are with their families at this terrible time.”
Reuters said that two of its journalists, Thaer Al-Sudani and Maher Nazeh, were wounded in the same shelling, while Qatar’s Al-Jazeera TV said its cameraman Elie Brakhya and reporter Carmen Joukhadar, were wounded as well.
France’s international news agency, Agence France-Presse said two of its journalists were also wounded. They were identified as photographer Christina Assi and video journalist Dylan Collins.
Nazeh said Reuters and the two other news organizations 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.
Image credits: Featured photo via YouTube/MSNBC.
