A Reuters journalist was struck by an artillery shell and killed near the Israel-Lebanon border on October 13 during a livestream, the outlet confirmed.
Journalist Issam Abdallah and his crew were struck by what is currently believed to have been an Israeli artillery strike. The news agency confirmed the death of the journalist, as well as six reports who were injured as a result of the shelling, according to Business Insider. It remains unclear whether the artillery strike was from the Israeli military.
After the artillery strike, journalists and other individuals can be heard yelling in the background. One person can be heard saying, “I can’t feel my legs! I can’t feel my legs! I can’t feel my legs!”
WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEO
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Someone just hit the Reuters journalists live-streaming from the northern border. https://t.co/FOnoWmQTsh pic.twitter.com/F4TAARfsTN
— Benjamin Pittet (@COUPSURE) October 13, 2023
“We are deeply saddened to learn that our videographer, Issam Abdallah, has been killed. Issam was part of a Reuters crew in southern Lebanon who was providing a live signal. Our thoughts are with their families at this terrible time,” Reuters said in a statement.
Reuters videographer Issam Abdallah was killed while working in southern Lebanon on Friday, @Reuters said in a statement https://t.co/WX25aBPZ7J pic.twitter.com/fgkV270pCq
— Reuters (@Reuters) October 13, 2023
As of today, Reuters has completed its investigation into the incident involving journalist Issam Abdallah. The outlet has confirmed that it was, in fact, an Israeli artillery shell that struck the journalist and injured others.
“Reuters spoke to more than 30 government and security officials, military experts, forensic investigators, lawyers, medics and witnesses to piece together a detailed account of the incident. The news agency reviewed hours of video footage from eight media outlets in the area at the time and hundreds of photos from before and after the attack, including high-resolution satellite images,” the outlet wrote.
All journalists and reporters at the scene of the incident were wearing blue flak jackets, and helmets with “PRESS” on them. There were journalists from at least seven other media outlets in the area that day, according to Reuters.
“The evidence we now have, and have published today, shows that an Israeli tank crew killed our colleague Issam Abdallah,” Reuters Editor-in-Chief Alessandra Galloni said.
5️⃣ stories you need to know today: It was an Israeli tank crew that killed Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah and wounded six reporters in Lebanon on October 13, Nikki Haley subjected to attacks during Republican presidential debate, and more pic.twitter.com/pHFTsGPSAM
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 7, 2023
“We condemn Issam’s killing. We call on Israel to explain how this could have happened and to hold to account those responsible for his death and the wounding of Christina Assi of the AFP, our colleagues Thaier Al-Sudani and Maher Nazeh, and the three other journalists,” she said. “Issam was a brilliant and passionate journalist, who was much loved at Reuters.”
Many international human rights groups speculate that the incident was a targeted attack on civilians by the Israeli military and should be investigated as a war crime, according to Aljazeera.