No fewer than three journalists were killed by
an Israeli bombardment of southern Lebanon.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported on Tuesday that an “enemy bombing” killed three people in the Tayr Harfa area, about 1.6km (1 mile) from the Israeli frontier.
Al Mayadeen TV a Lebanese channel
said two of its staff were among the victims. The third person killed was said to be a local journalist and “contributor” to the channel.
“Correspondent Farah Omar and cameraman Rabih Me’mari were killed by an Israeli attack,” Al Mayadeen said in a statement.
Al Mayadeen director Ghassan bin Jiddo said It was a direct attack, it was not by chance, noting it came after an Israeli government decision this month to block access to the channel’s website.
Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr, reporting from southern Lebanon said “Another attack has targeted journalists in southern Lebanon, killing a reporter and a cameraman who worked for the pan-Arabic channel Al Mayadeen … A third person, who was with them, was also killed,”.
“The feeling here is that the Israeli army wants to silence the media and punish journalists,” Zeina added.
The bombardment is not unconnected to the growing hostilities along Israel’s northern border.