Media rights group urges pressure on Israel over deadly 2023 strike

Reuters video journalist Issam Abdallah was killed in the strike, which wounded six other journalists. (AFP) — The Committee to Protect Journalists on Tuesday urged the international community to pressure Israel, including through potential economic consequences, if it does not hold accountable the troops responsible for a deadly 2023 strike on reporters in Lebanon.A Reuters journalist was killed and two AFP reporters were seriously wounded when they came under fire in southern Lebanon near the border with Israel on Oct. 13, 2023.Investigations by both news agencies and several nongovernmental groups concluded that Israel carried out the attack.The Committee to Protect Journalists, a New York-based press freedom group, said the European Union should consider suspending its agreement allowing free trade with Israel unless Israel takes responsibility. “With Israel’s blatant failure to take accountability, we call on the international community to pressure Israeli officials to complete a probe naming the units and individuals responsible for the deliberate attacks against journalists,” said Sara Qudah, the group’s Middle East regional director.“The failure to hold those responsible to account,” she said, “puts other journalists at risk by allowing impunity to persist.”“The suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement is one of the few remaining avenues that could create a meaningful pressure to break this cycle of impunity,” she said.Asked by AFP for an update on the case, the Israeli military said the incident had been “referred to the General Staff Fact-Finding Assessment Mechanism for a comprehensive factual review,” without providing further details about a timeline.“The IDF does not target journalists. The IDF makes every effort to minimise harm to uninvolved civilians while maintaining the security of its troops,” it said.“The IDF regrets any harm caused to journalists, respects press freedom and their important role, and does not target journalists on the basis of their profession.”Israeli envoy says strike a ‘mistake’Reuters video journalist Issam Abdallah was killed in the strike, which wounded six other journalists.They included AFP’s Dylan Collins and Christina Assi, whose leg had to be amputated after the attack.Israel’s ambassador to France acknowledged earlier this year for the first time that Israeli forces struck the journalists and said it was “a mistake.”Ambassador Joshua Zarka, speaking on French television, said the reporters “were not targeted because they were journalists” because “the soldiers on the ground thought that they were terrorists.”The strike came days after Hamas launched an attack from the Gaza Strip in the deadliest attack ever against Israel.Israel has since repeatedly struck Lebanon, saying it is seeking to eradicate Hezbollah, which, like Hamas, has received support from Iran’s clerical government.Assi, who received the Committee to Protect Journalists’ 2026 International Press Freedom Award, said it was critical to identify those in Israel responsible for the attack.“We need to know who did this to us,” she said. Follow @SeanDuffyCNS Subscribe to our free newsletters Our weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts. Additional Reads