Three journalists killed in Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon

Mar 30, 2026

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Lebanon is mourning three media professionals killed in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a guesthouse complex in the southern town of Hasbaya. The early morning strike hit a location where journalists from multiple international and local news organizations were staying to cover the ongoing conflict. The casualties included two employees from Al-Mayadeen and one from Al-Manar. Lebanese officials have characterized the incident as a deliberate targeting of the press, noting that the location was a known media hub housing various news crews.

The strike occurred in Hasbaya, an area in southern Lebanon that had previously been considered relatively safe for media personnel.
The three journalists killed were identified as camera operator Wissam Qassim of Al-Manar, and camera operator Ghassan Najjar and broadcast technician Mohammed Reda of Al-Mayadeen.
Several other journalists and media workers were injured in the attack, which caused significant damage to vehicles and equipment marked with “Press” identifiers.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the strike, describing it as a war crime and a premeditated attack intended to intimidate the media.
The Israeli military, which usually maintains that it targets Hezbollah infrastructure, has not issued a specific statement regarding the targeting of the media guesthouses.
This incident adds to the rising death toll of media workers in the region since the escalation of hostilities in October 2023.