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Journalists killed and injured in Lebanon: AFP investigation points to Israeli army strike
An Agence France-Presse investigation into the strike in southern Lebanon on October 13 that killed a Reuters journalist and injured several others, including two from AFP, points to a tank shell used only by the Israeli army in this high-tension border region.
AFP has conducted a seven-week in-depth investigation in conjunction with Airwars, an NGO that investigates attacks on civilians in conflict situations, to shed light on the circumstances of the strikes on October 13. The strike killed Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah and wounded six others, including two AFP journalists, Christina Assi and Dylan Collins.
Its evidence — combining expert munitions analysis, satellite images, testimonies and video recordings filmed before and during the attack — points to three key conclusions:
- The munition that killed Abdallah was a 120-mm fin-stabilised tank shell of Israeli origin that is not used by any other groups in the region.
- The strikes were deliberate and targeted. They arrived within 37 seconds of each other and just a few metres apart. The journalists were clearly identified as press, away from any military activity. The Israeli army has extensive aerial surveillance resources in the area.
- The strikes likely came from southeast of the journalists’ position, apparently near the Israeli village of Jordeikh where Israeli tanks were operating.
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“AFP has been very clear that we will take all judicial avenues that we deem relevant and possible to ensure that we can get justice for Christina and Issam,” said Global News Director Phil Chetwynd.
“We cannot allow such a culture of impunity to develop and it is absolutely essential that we rally as an industry to ensure that something is done about this.”
About Airwars
Airwars is a not-for-profit transparency watchdog which tracks, assesses, archives and investigates civilian harm claims in conflict-affected nations. Founded in 2014, by Chris Woods and Basile Simon, it is now a leading authority on conflict violence as it affects civilian communities.
About AFP
AFP is a leading global news agency providing fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the events shaping our world and of the issues affecting our daily lives. Drawing from an unparalleled news gathering network across 151 countries, AFP is also a world leader in digital verification. With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world in six languages, with a unique quality of multimedia storytelling spanning video, text, photos and graphics.