Israel’s Killing of Lebanese Journalists with U.S. Bombs May Be a War Crime
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November 25, 2024 – Lebanon/Israel/USA –
An Israeli airstrike that killed three journalists and injured three others in southern Lebanon on October 25, 2024, may amount to a war crime, according to legal experts and press freedom advocates. The journalists—Ghassan Najjar and Mohammad Reda of al-Mayadeen, and Wissam Qassem of al-Manar—were asleep in a clearly marked press chalet in the Tayr Harfa area when the building was hit by two U.S.-manufactured JDAM bombs dropped by an Israeli warplane.
Investigations by The Guardian, which included on-site visits, satellite analysis, and interviews with survivors, revealed that the journalists were not near any combat zone at the time of the attack. No military activity was reported in the area, and the press personnel were not embedded with armed groups. Evidence from the site, including shrapnel from the bomb casing and parts of the JDAM guidance kit, pointed to a highly precise strike. This has led international law experts to suggest that the journalists were intentionally targeted—a clear violation of international humanitarian law.
Nadim Houry, executive director of the Arab Reform Initiative, called the strike a “deliberate targeting of journalists,” warning that such actions, if proven, constitute a war crime. Legal scholars note that even during active conflict, journalists are considered civilians under the Geneva Conventions and are protected unless actively participating in hostilities.
The incident has sparked condemnation from global press freedom organizations, who are calling for an independent international investigation. They argue that the attack fits into a broader pattern of violence against media workers in conflict zones, particularly in the Israel-Gaza-Lebanon context. Over half a dozen journalists have been killed in Lebanon alone since October 2023.
The precision of the weapons used, combined with the lack of military targets nearby, has raised serious concerns about Israel’s compliance with international legal standards governing warfare. Critics argue that without independent accountability mechanisms, such strikes will continue with impunity, endangering journalists and eroding the laws that protect civilians in war.
This case highlights the urgent need for global scrutiny and enforcement of protections for journalists in conflict zones.
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