Three journalists killed in Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon

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.

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