IFJ Condemns Surge in Israeli Army Attacks on Journalists in Southern Lebanon

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its Lebanese affiliate, the Union of Journalists of Lebanon (UJL), have condemned a series of attacks and threats by the Israeli army against journalists reporting in southern Lebanon, highlighting growing risks for media professionals covering the ongoing conflict along the Lebanon–Israel border. The incidents documented by late December 2025 reflect a pattern of intimidation, violence, and threats that have endangered journalists’ lives and obstructed their reporting.

The IFJ press release recounts three separate incidents in which journalists were directly threatened or came under fire while clearly identified as media workers. On 28 December 2025, freelance journalist Courtney Bonneau and her cameraman, Ali Ezzedine, reporting for the independent outlet Vocal Politics (VPol) near Houla close to the Israeli border, were threatened by Israeli soldiers via loudspeaker and confronted by a tank advancing toward their vehicle. The Lebanese Armed Forces intervened, warning the journalists of the danger and advising them to seek cover.

Other attacks occurred earlier in December. On 25 December 2025, a media crew from Al Mayadeen came under live gunfire from Israeli troops while reporting in the Al-Dhahira and Al-Jardah areas south of Lebanon, with video footage showing Al Mayadeen journalist Jamal Al-Gharbi continuing to report as gunfire sounded in the background. Several days before that, on 19 December 2025, an Al-Alam media team — including journalist Zeinab Faraj — was approached by an Israeli drone while covering events near Kfarkela; the team’s clearly marked press vehicle was reportedly followed by the drone, and Faraj later said she received death threats via social media after the encounter.

In its statement, UJL President Elsy Moufarrej described these episodes as part of a disturbing escalation of harassment and attacks that place journalists in direct danger, impeding legitimate media coverage, and violating their rights. The IFJ called on the Israeli army to halt actions that endanger journalists and to allow them to carry out their work without interference. IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger emphasised that live gunfire and unmanned aircraft used against journalists highlight a concerning pattern of hostility toward press coverage.

The documented incidents occur against a backdrop of continuing conflict along the Lebanon–Israel frontier, where journalists have been regularly exposed to cross-border violence. In prior confrontations, reporters have been killed or wounded by military fire, including the 2023 artillery attack that killed seasoned Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah while he was clearly marked as press — an event widely condemned by media rights groups as a grave threat to press freedom and safety.

The IFJ’s denunciation underscores the heightened risks facing journalists in conflict zones and the need for stronger measures to protect media workers under international humanitarian law.

Reference –

https://www.ifj.org/media-centre/news/detail/category/press-releases/article/lebanon-surge-in-israeli-army-attacks-on-journalists-in-southern-lebanon