Lebanon’s permanent representative to the UN in Geneva has urged the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk to intervene on Israel’s killing of 28 Lebanese journalists since 2023, the Lebanese National News Agency (NNA) reported on Thursday.
Ambassador Caroline Ziadeh wrote in a letter that Lebanon’s information ministry documented “a series of successive Israeli attacks targeting journalists,” describing them as part of “a broader and deeply concerning pattern of attacks on civilians, including clearly identifiable media professionals performing their duties.”
“These acts constitute grave violations of international humanitarian law,” said Ziadeh, citing protections under the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols, as well as the Rome Statute.
She stressed that since October 13, 2023, “Israeli military actions have resulted in the deaths of 28 Lebanese journalists, including correspondents, photojournalists, and cameramen, without any accountability to date.”
“The normalisation of such acts should be prevented and the protections afforded to journalists during armed conflict should be upheld,” she added, urging Turk’s intervention to support accountability.
Ziadeh added that Israel “should be compelled to cease these violations and comply fully with its obligations under International Humanitarian Law.”
An Israeli strike on Lebanon killed Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil while she was carrying out her duties, the Red Cross said Wednesday.
More attacks
In the latest attack on civilians, an Israeli air strike targeted a car in southern Lebanon on Thursday, killing three people, hours before US-hosted talks between Lebanon and Israel, the Lebanese health ministry said.
Lebanon is seeking to extend a US-announced 10-day ceasefire, which expires Sunday, that has been repeatedly violated by Israel, according to Lebanese officials.
More than 2,200 people have been killed, and over 1 million displaced by expanded Israeli attacks on Lebanon since March 2, soon after the start of a war against Iran that was initiated by the US and Israel.
The attacks have continued despite a 10-day US-mediated ceasefire agreed on April 16.
