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January 24, 2026 – Lebanon –
In Sidon (Saida), southern Lebanon, journalist Hilal Habli was violently attacked on January 24, 2026, in an incident that local media and rights advocates have widely condemned as an attack on press freedom and personal safety. The assault occurred immediately after Habli exited Al-Hariri Mosque, when two individuals approached him and physically accosted him — one attempting to stab him with a knife — before bystanders intervened and restrained one of the attackers, identified as “A.A.” (born 1992). Lebanese security forces subsequently took the suspect into custody for questioning and investigation.
The incident sparked swift reactions from political figures and colleagues. Parliamentarian Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Bazri contacted Habli to check on his condition, condemned the violence, and called on security and judicial authorities to pursue accountability for the attack, emphasising the need to protect journalists and uphold freedom of expression in the face of such intimidation. Local press organisations also decried the assault as a violation not only of Habli’s personal safety but of broader media freedoms in Lebanon’s press environment.
Habli, who runs Saida Net — an independent local news platform covering community affairs and public issues in Sidon — was fortunate to escape with non-fatal injuries. Nevertheless, the attack underscores ongoing security challenges faced by journalists in Lebanon, where reporters have contended with threats stemming from political tensions, civil unrest, and cross-border violence. Press freedom advocates note that incidents of harassment and physical intimidation contribute to a climate of self-censorship and heightened risk for media workers operating in politically sensitive contexts.
The attack on Habli has renewed calls among Lebanese civil society and journalistic circles for enhanced protections for journalists, transparent investigations into attacks against media workers, and enforcement of laws safeguarding press freedom and personal security, as they continue to document events in a region affected by both domestic tensions and the broader context of hostilities along the Lebanon–Israel border.
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