Qatar has strongly condemned the killing and wounding of several Lebanese journalists during a recent Israeli raid targeting their residences.

The early morning airstrike targeted journalists as they slept at a guesthouse in southeast Lebanon. It was one of the deadliest attacks on the media since hostilities broke out across the border a year ago.

The airstrike was a rare one in an area that has been used by different media houses to host their journalists covering the war.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, in a statement, said it considered it to be a part of a pattern of systematic crimes against journalists amid the ongoing war on Gaza, a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and a direct assault on media freedom, freedom of expression, and the public’s right to access information.

The Ministry, in its statement, underscored the urgent need to hold the Israeli occupation forces accountable for this egregious crime and called for swift international action to prevent further attacks on media personnel.

The Ministry expressed Qatar’s condolences to the families of the victims, to the government and people of Lebanon, as well as its wishes for a speedy recovery for the wounded. 

The 3am airstrike turned the site into rubble. Cars marked ‘PRESS’ lay overturned and covered in dust and debris.

The Israeli army did not issue a warning prior to the strike, which it said targeted Hezbollah militant infrastructure. The military later said the strike was being reviewed.

Those killed were camera operator Ghassan Najjar and broadcast technician Mohammed Rida of the Beirut-based pan-Arab Al-Mayadeen TV, and camera operator Wissam Qassim, who worked for Al-Manar TV of Lebanon’s Hezbollah group.

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