AFP renews call on Israel to investigate attack on Lebanese journalists

Agence France-Presse renewed its call on Thursday on Israel to conduct a full investigation into an attack in 2023 that killed a Reuters journalist in Lebanon and wounded several others, two of them from AFP.

On October 13, 2023, an attack killed Reuters video journalist Issam Abdallah and wounded six other journalists, including AFP reporters Dylan Collins and Christina Assi, who had to have her right leg amputated.

AFP conducted an independent investigation which concluded that two Israeli 120mm tank shells were fired from the Jordeikh area in Israel.

The findings were corroborated by other international probes, including investigations conducted by Reuters, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

In a statement on Thursday, AFP said it "deplores the complete lack of response or explanation from the Israeli army".

"Despite significant and clear ballistic, satellite and human evidence, the Israeli authorities have never made any substantial statement about the attack or given any explanation," AFP said.

"A few days ago, AFP received another short reply from the Israeli army: 'The incident is currently under review, and the findings regarding the event have not yet been concluded.'"

AFP reiterated that the journalists were clearly identifiable as civilians, wearing helmets and vests marked "PRESS", with no military presence visible on site.

Morris Tidball-Binz, U.N. special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, called the incident "a premeditated, targeted and double-tapped attack from the Israeli forces, a clear violation, in my opinion, of IHL (international humanitarian law), a war crime".

"Impunity in this case... constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law and a threat to press freedom," AFP said.