Lebanon’s National News Agency has reported that an Israeli airstrike targeted a compound in southeast Lebanon where journalists were working, resulting in the deaths of three staff members from two different news organizations. This event is part of an increasingly dire situation, as exchanges of fire at the Lebanon-Israel border have turned deadly since they escalated on October 8, 2023.
According to Lebanon’s health ministry, the conflict has already claimed over 2,500 lives and left more than 12,000 injured over the past year. Additionally, around 1.2 million individuals, including over 400,000 children, have been displaced from their homes amid the escalating violence, as reported by the United Nations children’s agency. Israel’s air campaigns have significantly impacted Hezbollah’s leadership, resulting in numerous casualties since the fighting intensified in September.
In Gaza, the toll has been even higher, with local health officials estimating that over 42,000 Palestinians have died since the onset of the conflict. These figures do not distinguish between militants and civilians. The conflict ignited when Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on October 7, 2023, breaching Israel’s security measures and killing about 1,200 individuals, predominantly civilians, while also taking 250 captives.
Hospitals in northern Gaza are facing a dire humanitarian crisis, struggling with a severe shortage of essential supplies, and ambulances are reportedly unable to reach medical facilities.
In the latest developments, an Israeli airstrike in southeast Lebanon led to the death of three journalists working in a media compound, as reported by Lebanon’s state-run news service on Friday. Footage broadcast by local station Al Jadeed depicted the aftermath, showing a devastated area complete with collapsed structures and “PRESS” labeled vehicles buried in debris. The strike occurred without prior warning and targeted a group of chalets rented by various news outlets.
Al-Mayadeen, a pan-Arab network based in Beirut, confirmed that two of its journalists were among those killed in the attack, which occurred early Friday in Hasbaya, a region that had previously avoided much of the border conflict. Al-Manar TV, affiliated with Hezbollah, noted that one of its camera operators was also a casualty of the airstrike.
In a separate incident, a driver employed by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) was killed when an Israeli assault hit a vehicle marked with U.N. insignia. The incident, which took place Thursday, also claimed the life of the driver’s brother and injured three bystanders.
Israeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon alleged that the UNRWA driver was involved with Hamas, citing his participation in the attacks on October 7. UNRWA had received a list from Israel identifying the driver as a member of Hamas, but Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini has requested more information from Israel to verify these claims, with no response reported so far. This incident marks yet another attack on U.N. personnel, with over 230 U.N. staff members having lost their lives since the onset of the conflict in Gaza.