The Permanent Mission of Lebanon to the United Nations in New York sent two letters to both the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk and UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Opinion and Expression Irene Khan accusing Israel of the deliberate killing of Lebanese Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah and wounding other journalists in attacks in southern Lebanon.
The letters highlighted the circumstances of this heinous crime and its violation of human rights, particularly the right of freedom of opinion and expression.
It urged the high-ranking officials to shed light on the incident internationally and work towards holding the perpetrators accountable.
“On October 13, Israeli forces directly targeted media crews in the area of Alma al-Chaab in southern Lebanon, killing Lebanese Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah and injuring his colleagues Maher Abdul Latif (Reuters), Thaer Zuhair Kazem (Reuters), Elie Brakhya (Al Jazeera), Christina Mustafa Assi (AFP), Carmen Joukhadar (Al Jazeera), Dylan Collins (AFP) and Mohamed Hassan (Photographer at Tasnim Agency),” the letters read.
The letters also detailed that the media crews were targeted while working at what is considered a safe distance from the front lines and ongoing operations or military installations. Moreover, these journalists adhered to all safety protocols, including clearly identifying themselves as journalists and wearing protective vests and helmets.
“These details indicate that Israel’s targeting of media crews was a deliberate act, devoid of any military justification whatsoever,” the letters said.
It called on both Türk and Khan to take on “every measure” from their side that can prevent the recurrence of such crimes.
