To maintain its monopoly on information, Israel eliminates journalists (130 were killed in Gaza, three in Lebanon, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF). The Hebrew state also prevents Lebanese ambulance drivers from helping the wounded, as was the case in Gaza. 160 rescue workers have already been killed.
According to Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF), an Israeli air strike hit a guesthouse in Hasbaya, southern Lebanon, on the night of October 24-25, 2024, at around 3am. The house was known for hosting press crews.
Three media professionals lost their lives: Ghassan Najjar and Mohamed Reda of Al Mayadeen, and Wissam Qasim of Al Manar. Al Jazeera cameraman Ali Mortada was injured and hospitalized.
At the time of the strike, eighteen media professionals were in the building, representing various channels including MTV, Sky News Arabia, Al-Jazeera, Al Araby, Al Qahira News, Al-Ghad TV and TRT World.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) considers this attack to be targeted against the media and is calling for an independent investigation, citing a possible war crime. The organization calls for urgent protection of journalists in the context of intensifying conflict in Lebanon.
This strike comes two days after the destruction of Al Mayadeen’s offices in the southern suburbs of Beirut by Israeli aircraft.
Ambulance drivers under fire
In Saida, in southern Lebanon, Mohammad Araqdan heads a Civil Defense team that remains on constant alert. Intervention logs are piling up, testifying to intense activity. A recently targeted ambulance, its body deformed and its windows shattered, illustrates the dangers faced by these rescue workers. “Israel doesn’t want us to be able to help people”, laments Araqdan, while the death toll has already risen to over 160 rescue workers killed in operations.
A health system on the brink of collapse
In the Sarafand region, the landscape is marked by destruction. At the Alaeddine hospital, poignant testimonies are multiplying, like that of Reda, who lost his brother and his family in a bombardment. “His son was 5 years old… They kill our children”, he confides, distraught.
A humanitarian mission in jeopardy
Civil Defense teams remain committed despite the risks. “Look at our ambulances,” insists Bassam, a team leader. “Stretchers, gloves, bandages… And that’s it.” Faced with the accusations, the Lebanese authorities denounce war crimes, while 55 hospitals have been damaged or put out of service by Israeli bombing.
“Israël ne veut pas que nous puissions porter secours aux personnes” : au Liban, les ambulances sont prises pour cibleshttps://t.co/LPZYf3HuKX
— franceinfo (@franceinfo) October 27, 2024
