CPJ Urges International Pressure on Israel Over 2023 Lebanon Journalist Strike

On October 13, 2023, a Reuters journalist was killed and two AFP reporters—Dylan Collins and Christina Assi—were seriously wounded when they came under fire near the Israel-Lebanon border. Investigations by Reuters, AFP and several non-governmental groups concluded that Israeli forces carried out the attack. The incident occurred days after Hamas launched its deadliest assault on Israel, prompting Israel to intensify operations in Lebanon against Hezbollah.

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The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called on the international community to pressure Israel to identify the units and individuals responsible for the “deliberate attacks against journalists.” CPJ’s Middle East regional director Sara Qudah urged the European Union to consider suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement as leverage to break a cycle of impunity.

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CPJ argues that without accountability, the safety of journalists in conflict zones remains jeopardized. The suggested suspension of the EU-Israel free-trade agreement represents one of the few remaining tools to compel a thorough investigation, according to CPJ officials. The episode highlights the broader risks faced by media workers amid the escalating Israel-Hezbollah confrontation that followed the Hamas offensive.

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• “With Israel's blatant failure to take accountability, we call on the international community to pressure Israeli officials to complete a probe naming the units and individuals responsible for the deliberate attacks against journalists,” — Sara Qudah, Middle East regional director for the Committee to Protect Journalists

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