Bangladeshi Journalist Hacked to Death While Reporting Extortion
August 7, 2025
Belarus Sentences Journalist Danil Palianski to 10 Years for Treason in Ongoing Media Crackdown
August 8, 2025
August 8, 2025 – Lebanon –
Lebanese journalist Mohammad Shehadeh, director of the online platform Hawana Lebanon, was killed in an Israeli drone strike on the Zahrani Road in Nabatieh district, southern Lebanon. According to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA), the targeted strike hit Shehadeh’s vehicle, killing him instantly. Civil defense teams later recovered his body from the wreckage. The attack took place along a key route connecting Sidon and Nabatieh, an area that has been under heightened tension due to ongoing cross-border hostilities.
Shehadeh was a respected media figure known for his work in covering local affairs and community issues through Hawana Lebanon. His death adds to the growing toll of journalists killed in the region, as tensions between Israel and armed groups in Lebanon continue to escalate. The NNA confirmed that the strike violated existing ceasefire understandings, which were intended to prevent further escalation in southern Lebanon.
Local media and eyewitnesses reported that the drone strike appeared to have been a direct hit, leaving little chance of survival. Residents in the area described scenes of panic as emergency services rushed to the site, with traffic on the Zahrani Road coming to a standstill. The Lebanese Civil Defense and Red Cross were involved in removing the body and clearing the area.
The killing of Shehadeh has sparked widespread condemnation from journalist unions, press freedom advocates, and local officials, who denounced the targeting of media workers in conflict zones. Calls for an independent investigation into the incident have emerged, with press rights organizations warning that such attacks violate international humanitarian law, which protects journalists in armed conflicts.
Shehadeh’s death follows a series of recent incidents in which journalists in Lebanon and neighboring areas have been injured or killed amid rising violence. Advocacy groups stress that this pattern highlights the increasing dangers faced by journalists operating in the Middle East, particularly in regions where military operations and political instability overlap.
As the investigation into the circumstances of the strike continues, Shehadeh’s colleagues and supporters remember him as a dedicated professional committed to informing his community, even amid mounting risks. His death is seen as both a personal tragedy and a significant blow to press freedom in Lebanon.
References –
https://naharnet.com/stories/en/314597-journalist-killed-in-israeli-strike-on-zahrani-road
https://www.palestinechronicle.com/israeli-strike-in-south-lebanon-kills-lebanese-journalist/
