UN Reports Israeli Tank Opened Fire on Journalists Near Lebanon Border: Calls for Accountability

The investigation conducted by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said that its personnel did not record any exchange of fire across the border between Israel and Lebanon for more than 40 minutes before an Israeli Merkava tank opened fire.

The UNIFIL report said: “Shooting civilians, who in this case are clearly identifiable journalists, constitutes a violation of UN Security Council Resolution (1701) (of 2006) and international law.”

The seven-page report, dated February 27, added: “It is estimated that there was no exchange of fire across the Blue Line at the time of the incident. There is no known reason for the strikes on the journalists.” In addition to killing Abdullah, the two shells wounded six other journalists at the scene.

Journalists were monitoring and recording the cross-border shelling from a distance in an open area on a hill near the Lebanese village of Alma al-Shaab for about an hour before the attack.

The next day, the Israeli army said that it already had photos of the incident and was investigating them. The Israeli army has not published a report on its findings yet.

UNIFIL said in its report that it sent a letter and questionnaire to the Israeli army requesting its assistance. The army responded by letter but did not respond to the questionnaire.

Israel disavows responsibility

In response to a question about the UNIFIL report, Israeli army spokesman Nir Dinar said that Hezbollah attacked the Israeli army near the Hanita community in Israel on October 13. The army responded with artillery and tank fire to eliminate the threat, and later received a report that two journalists had been wounded.

Dinar added: “The Israeli army denounces any casualties among unrelated parties, and does not intentionally fire on civilians, including journalists… The Israeli army considers freedom of the press to be of the utmost importance while making clear that being in a war zone is dangerous.”

He said that the Fact-Finding and Evaluation Mechanism of the General Staff, which is responsible for reviewing exceptional events, will continue to investigate the incident.

According to the Israeli army’s website, the fact-finding team submits its reviews to the Israeli army’s Legal Affairs Department, which determines whether the matter merits a criminal investigation.

Reuters: To hold those responsible for the attack accountable

Reuters editor-in-chief Alessandra Galloni called on Israel to explain how the attack that killed Abdullah (37 years old) occurred and to hold those responsible accountable.

Two people familiar with the matter said that the UNIFIL report was sent to the United Nations in New York on February 28 and then sent to the Lebanese and Israeli armies.

The report said in its recommendations: “The Israeli army must conduct an investigation into the incident and fully review its procedures at the time to avoid its recurrence… The Israeli army must share with UNIFIL the results of its investigations.”

The report stated that, for the sake of investigation, UNIFIL sent a team to visit the site on October 14, and also received contributions from the Lebanese Armed Forces, and from an unnamed witness who was present on the hill at the time of the strikes.

UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti said he was not in a position to discuss the investigation.

2024-03-14 09:05:17
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