Israel airstrikes Lebanon, 2 journalists and 4 militants killed

The pan-Arab Al-Mayadeen television channel, which is politically allied with Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group, identified the journalists killed in the town of Tair Harfa as reporter Farah Omar and cameraman Rabih Maamari. The airstrike also killed a Lebanese civilian, according to Lebanon's state-run Al-Mayadeen media.

Israel air strikes Lebanon, killing 2 journalists and 4 Palestinian militants. — Journalism equipment belonging to two journalists killed in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon on December 21, 2023. Photo: AP

The Israeli military said its troops had acted against a threat in the area of weapons fired from Lebanon. “We are aware of a claim that journalists in the area were killed. This is an area of intense hostilities, where fighting is taking place. Presence in the area is dangerous,” the statement said.

The deaths bring the number of journalists killed since the Israel-Hamas war began last month to at least 50, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Most of the victims were Palestinian journalists working in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli shelling of southern Lebanon on October 14 killed Reuters video journalist Issam Abduallah and wounded other journalists from the French international news agency AFP and Qatar's Al Jazeera news agency.

The first month of the Israel-Gaza war was the deadliest month for journalists since the Committee to Protect Journalists began recording journalist deaths in 1992.

Fighting in southern Lebanon on Tuesday also saw an Israeli drone strike on the village of Chaatiyeh near the Mediterranean coast, killing four militants, identified by Palestinians as members of the Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas.

Another Lebanese security official said those killed included Khalil Kharraz, deputy commander of Lebanon's Qassam Brigades. Lebanese authorities briefly arrested Kharraz in 2014 after he was accused of firing rockets into Israel from Lebanon.

The Lebanon-Israel border has seen daily gunfire between Hezbollah militants and the Israeli army since the Gaza war erupted following a deadly Hamas attack on October 7.

Hoang Hai (according to AP, Reuters, CPJ)

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