Lebanon
\nIsrael has said that a journalist killed by its military forces in southern Lebanon was \u201cin an active combat zone\u201d.
\nAppearing to dismiss calls for a war crime investigation into the death of a Reuters journalist and injury of six others under fire from its tanks in October, the Israeli army said on Friday that the incident is under review, but noted that the reporters had placed themselves in a \u201cdangerous\u201d area.
\nWithout directly addressing the death of video journalist Issam Abdallah, 37, on October 13, an Israeli military statement said that Lebanese Hezbollah fighters had at the time attacked across the border and Israeli forces had opened fire to prevent a suspected armed infiltration.
\nA Reuters special report published on Thursday found that an Israeli tank crew killed Abdallah and wounded six reporters \u2013 including Al Jazeera\u2019s Elie Brakhia and Carmen Joukhadar \u2013 when they fired two shells in quick succession while the journalists were filming cross-border shelling in and around Alma ash-Shaab.
\nIn the statement, the Israeli military said Hezbollah had launched an attack on multiple targets within Israeli territory along the Lebanese border.
\n\u201cOne incident involved the firing of an anti-tank missile, which struck the border fence near the village Hanita. Following the launch of the anti-tank missile, concerns arose over the potential infiltration of terrorists into Israeli territory,\u201d it said.
\n\u201cIn response, the IDF [Israeli army] used artillery and tank fire to prevent the infiltration. The IDF is aware of the claim that journalists who were in the area were killed.
\n\u201cThe area is an active combat zone, where active fire takes place and being in this area is dangerous. The incident is currently under review,\u201d it said.
\nThe seven journalists shelled on October 13 were all wearing blue flak jackets and helmets, most with \u201cPRESS\u201d written on them in white.
\nReporting from the area on the day of the attack, Al Jazeera correspondent Ali Hashem said that the reporters had been targeted.
\n\u201cThe tank shell hit them directly. It was horrible. The situation over there was \u2013 I can\u2019t explain, I can\u2019t describe it,\u201d he said at the time.<\/p>\n
\u2018War crime\u2019
\nSpeaking at a press conference on Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it was important that Israel\u2019s inquiry into the killing reach a conclusion and for the results to be seen.
\n\u201cMy understanding is that Israel has initiated such an investigation, and it will be important to see that investigation come to a conclusion, and to see the results of the investigation,\u201d he said.
\nInternational rights groups Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International said Israel should face a war crimes probe over Abdallah\u2019s death.
\n\u201cEvidence indicates that the Israeli military knew or should have known that the group of people they were firing on were civilians,\u201d HRW said. That makes the attack a \u201cwar crime\u201d it added.
\nAmnesty also said the Israeli military strikes \u201cwere likely a direct attack on civilians that must be investigated as a war crime\u201d.
\nJournalists covering Israel\u2019s war on Gaza are facing unparalleled danger, according to the media rights group Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
\nSince the Gaza war broke out, at least 63 journalists have been killed, including 56 Palestinians, four Israelis, and three Lebanese nationals, according to the CPJ.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Lebanon Israel has said that a journalist killed by its military forces in southern Lebanon was \u201cin an active combat zone\u201d. Appearing to dismiss calls for a war crime investigation into the death of a Reuters journalist and injury of six others under fire from its tanks in October, the Israeli army said on Friday […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":373042,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-373263","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n