An early Friday morning Israeli airstrike killed at least three journalists sleeping in a guesthouse in Hasbaya, southern Lebanon, according to Lebanese media.
The victims included Al-Mayadeen cameraman Ghassan Najjar, engineer Mohamed Reda and a cameraman for Hezbollah’s Al-Manar, Al-Mayadeen reported.
Reporters on the scene said the bungalow where the men slept was directly targeted.
“The occupation’s targeting of the journalists’ residence was deliberate, and there are injured journalists from other Arab channels,” Al-Mayadeen director Ghassan bin Jiddo said on the channel’s account on X, formerly Twitter. “We hold the occupation fully responsible for this war crime, in which journalist crews, including the Al-Mayadeen team, were targeted.”
There was no immediate comment from Israel.
The killings occurred a day after an Israeli strike hit an office used by Al-Mayadeen in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said that strike killed one person and wounded five others, including a child.
Lebanese authorities report that Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 2,500 people and displaced over 1 million, creating a humanitarian crisis.
On Thursday, an Israeli strike killed three Lebanese soldiers who were evacuating wounded people from the border village of Yater, according to the Lebanese army.
The Israeli military did not comment.
The U.S. has urged Israel to avoid civilian casualties and not to endanger U.N. peacekeepers or Lebanese army personnel in its operations in Gaza and Lebanon.
Israel, criticized for shelling hospitals and schools, says it targets Hamas and Hezbollah members, whom it accuses of using civilians as shields.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported that, as of Oct. 24, at least 128 journalists and media workers have been killed since the Gaza war began, marking the deadliest period for journalists since CPJ started tracking fatalities in 1992.
The majority of the dead are Palestinian media workers: 123 Palestinian, two Israeli, and three Lebanese.
At least five journalists have been killed in Lebanon over the past year, including a Reuters visuals journalist.
As Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon enters its second month, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned against a prolonged conflict.
“As Israel conducts operations to eliminate the threat to its people along the border with Lebanon, we have made it clear this cannot lead to a protracted campaign,” Blinken said in Doha.
Blinken added that he hoped Iran recognized the risks of further attacks on Israel, emphasizing the potential impact on Iran’s interests.
Israel has pledged retaliation for an Iranian missile barrage on Oct. 1.
U.S. and Israeli negotiators will meet in Doha to discuss a Gaza cease-fire that would include the release of hostages, officials from Qatar and the U.S. said. Mossad head David Barnea is scheduled to visit Doha on Sunday for talks with CIA Director William Burns and Qatar’s prime minister.
In Cairo, an Egyptian security team met with Hamas leaders as part of efforts to restart Gaza cease-fire negotiations, according to Egypt’s state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV.
Hamas official Osama Hamdan told Al-Mayadeen that the group’s position remains unchanged. “The hostages held by the resistance will only return by stopping the aggression and completely withdrawing,” Hamdan said.
Previous cease-fire attempts, which also included plans for hostage releases, have failed.
This is Blinken’s first visit to the region since Israel’s killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
The head of Israel’s military has signaled that an end to the conflict with Hezbollah may be in sight.
“In the north, there’s a possibility of reaching a sharp conclusion. We’ve dismantled Hezbollah’s senior command structure,” Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said in a video statement.
Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said a cease-fire rests with Israel. “The storm we are witnessing carries the seeds of total destruction, not only for our country, but for all human values,” he said.
Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel following Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault, which killed 1,200 people and led to the abduction of 250 others, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel’s Gaza offensive has killed nearly 43,000 people and devastated the territory, Gaza officials report.
