Israeli airstrike kills three journalists in southeast Lebanon
Three journalists were killed early Friday following an Israeli airstrike on a compound housing media personnel in southeastern Lebanon, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported.
The compound, located in the Hasbaya region, had been rented by various media outlets. Local news station Al Jadeed aired footage showing buildings and vehicles marked “PRESS” covered in debris from the bombing, which reportedly occurred without prior warning from Israeli forces.
Among the victims were two staffers from Al Jadeed — camera operator Ghassan Najar and broadcast technician Mohammed Rida. Al-Manar TV, affiliated with Lebanon’s Hezbollah group, confirmed that its camera operator, Wissam Qassim, also died in the airstrike.
The Hasbaya area, which has largely avoided recent cross-border violence, has become a temporary base for journalists seeking shelter from strikes near Marjayoun, a town that has been intermittently targeted in recent weeks. Earlier this week, an office belonging to Al-Mayadeen was also struck in the southern suburbs of Beirut, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. (ILKHA)