Three journalists have been killed in an Israeli airstrike on a building housing reporters in south-eastern Lebanon, witnesses have informed the BBC.
The attack targeted a guesthouse in a compound in Hasbaya utilized by over a dozen journalists from at least seven media organizations – with a courtyard containing cars clearly labeled “press”.
The three men were employed by Al-Manar TV and Al Mayadeen TV, and both broadcasters issued statements honoring their deceased employees.
Lebanon’s information minister condemned the attack as deliberate and labeled it a “war crime”.
The Israeli military has not yet provided a statement, but has previously denied targeting journalists.
The victims included camera operator Ghassan Najjar and engineer Mohamed Reda from Al Mayadeen, as well as camera operator Wissam Qassem from Al-Manar.
The Lebanese ministry of health reported three others were injured in the explosion.
Five journalists had been killed in previous Israeli strikes in Lebanon, including Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah.
Footage aired by Al-Jadeed TV displayed a destroyed building with a collapsed roof and debris-covered floors.
A vehicle used for TV broadcasts was overturned, with its satellite dish damaged and cables nearby.
“All official parties were informed that this house was being used as a residence for journalists. We coordinated with them all,” stated an Al-Jadeed journalist covered in dust during a live broadcast.
Lebanese journalists covering the conflict in the south of the country had to relocate from Marj’youn to Hasbaya due to safety concerns.
Youmna Fawwaz, a reporter for MTV Lebanon, recounted how journalists in the compound were awakened by the strike at around 03:00 local time.
Ceilings had collapsed on them, leaving them surrounded by rubble and dust, with the sound of fighter jets overhead.
Each news organization had its own building in the compound, she said, and the Al Mayadeen reporters’ building was completely destroyed while Al-Manar employees were inside.
Ms. Fawwaz mentioned that the compound was known to both Israel and Hezbollah as a media compound.
“The airstrike was intentional. Everyone knew we were there. All the cars were marked as press and TV. There wasn’t even a warning given to us.”
She added: “They are trying to intimidate us just like they do in Gaza. Israelis are attempting to prevent us from reporting the story.”
Lebanon’s information minister accused Israel of deliberately targeting journalists, in violation of international law.
“The Israeli enemy waited for the journalists’ nighttime break to betray them in their sleep,” Ziad Makary wrote in a post.
“This is an assassination, after monitoring and tracking, with prior planning and design, as there were 18 journalists there representing seven media institutions.”
Hasbaya, located about five miles from the Israeli border, is home to Muslims, Christians, and people from the Druze ethnic and religious minority.
While attacks on its outskirts have occurred in recent weeks, this was the first strike on the settlement itself.
The attack is part of an escalating conflict in Lebanon, where Israel has been intensifying air strikes and launching a ground invasion on border towns and villages in the south.
Lebanese authorities have recorded over 1,700 air strikes across the country in the past three weeks.
Hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah began on 8 October last year, following Hamas’s attack on Israel that resulted in around 1,200 deaths. Hezbollah has since been firing rockets and drones into Israel in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
Nearly 2,600 people in Lebanon have lost their lives in the current conflict, according to the country’s health ministry, with many of the deaths occurring since Israel escalated its attacks on 23 September.
Approximately 60,000 people in northern Israel have been displaced by Hezbollah rocket fire, with the Israeli government prioritizing their return to their homes.
In southern Lebanon, satellite imagery analyzed by the BBC reveals that Israel’s intensified bombing campaign has caused more damage to buildings in two weeks than occurred during a year of cross-border fighting.
Data indicates that over 3,600 buildings in Lebanon appear to have been damaged or destroyed between 2 and 14 October – around 54% of the total damage.