Israeli tank strike killed 'clearly identifiable' Reuters reporter - UN report
[1/6]Reuters'
journalist Issam Abdallah films Ukrainian woman Zhanna Lishchynska (not
pictured) during an interview with Reuters, amid Russia's attack on
Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine April 17, 2022. REUTERS/Ueslei
Marcelino/ File photo Purchase Licensing Rights
ISTANBUL,
March 13 (Reuters) - An Israeli tank killed Reuters reporter Issam
Abdallah in Lebanon last year by firing two 120 mm rounds at a group of
"clearly identifiable journalists" in violation of international law, a
U.N. investigation into the Oct. 13 incident has found.
The
investigation by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL),
summarized in a report seen by Reuters, said its personnel did not
record any exchange of fire across the border between Israel and Lebanon
for more than 40 minutes before the Israeli Merkava tank opened fire.
"The
firing at civilians, in this instance clearly identifiable journalists,
constitutes a violation of UNSCR 1701 (2006) and international law,"
the UNIFIL report said, referring to Security Council resolution 1701.
The
seven-page report dated Feb. 27 said further: "It is assessed that
there was no exchange of fire across the Blue Line at the time of the
incident. The reason for the strikes on the journalists is not known."
Under
resolution 1701, adopted in 2006 to bring an end to the war between
Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters, U.N. peacekeepers were deployed
to monitor a ceasefire along the 120 km (75 mile) demarcation line, or
Blue Line, between Israel and Lebanon.
As part of their mission, U.N. troops record violations of the ceasefire and investigate the most egregious cases.
Besides killing Abdallah, the two tank rounds also wounded six other journalists at the scene.
Asked
about the UNIFIL report, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Nir
Dinar said Hezbollah had attacked the IDF near the Israeli community of
Hanita on Oct. 13. It responded with artillery and tank fire to remove
the threat and subsequently received a report that journalists had been
injured.
"The
IDF deplores any injury to uninvolved parties, and does not
deliberately shoot at civilians, including journalists," Dinar said.
"The IDF considers the freedom of the press to be of utmost importance
while clarifying that being in a war zone is dangerous."
He
said the General Staff's Fact Finding and Assessment Mechanism, which
is responsible for reviewing exceptional events, will continue to
examine the incident.
According
to the IDF's website, the fact finding team submits its reviews to the
Israeli military's legal affairs department, which decides whether a
case warrants a criminal investigation.
'MUST BE PROTECTED'
Reuters
Editor-in-Chief Alessandra Galloni has called on Israel to explain how
the attack that killed Abdallah, 37, could have happened and to hold
those responsible to account.
The
UNIFIL report was sent to the United Nations in New York on Feb. 28 and
has been shared with the Lebanese and Israeli militaries, two people
familiar with the matter said.
"(The)
IDF should conduct an investigation into the incident and a full review
of their procedures at the time to avoid a recurrence," the report said
in its recommendations. "The IDF should share their investigation's
findings with UNIFIL."
A U.N. spokesperson confirmed that the UNIFIL report had been shared with the parties.
"We
reiterate that all actors should uphold their obligations under
international law, and that civilians, including journalists, should
never be a target. Journalists and media professionals must be
protected," the spokesperson said.
For
its investigation, UNIFIL sent a team to visit the site on Oct. 14, and
also received contributions from the Lebanese Armed Forces and from an
unnamed witness who was present on the hill when the strikes occurred,
the report said.
Details
of incidents in UNIFIL's area of operations are included in regular
reports by the U.N. Secretary-General on the implementation of Security
Council resolution 1701. UNIFIL's investigations, however, are not
usually made public and Reuters was unable to determine if there would
be any U.N. follow-up.
UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said he was not in a position to discuss the investigation.
UNIFIL's findings lend further support to a Reuters investigation
published on Dec. 7 that showed that seven journalists from Agence
France-Presse, Al Jazeera and Reuters, were hit by two 120 mm rounds
fired by a tank 1.34 km away in Israel.
The
group of reporters had been filming cross-border shelling from a
distance in open area on a hill near the Lebanese village of Alma
al-Chaab for nearly an hour before the attack.
The day afterwards, the IDF said it already had visuals of the incident and it was being investigated. The IDF has not published a report of its findings to date.
UNIFIL
said in its report that it sent a letter and a questionnaire to the IDF
requesting their assistance. The IDF replied with a letter but did not
answer the questionnaire.
Reuters has not seen a copy of the IDF letter, the contents of which were summarized in the UNIFIL report.
The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here.
Reporting by David Gauthier-Villars in Istanbul, Laila Bassam and Tom Perry in Beirut; Additional reporting by Maya Gebeily in Beirut and Eleanor Whalley in London; Graphic by Jackie Gu; Editing by David Clarke