Lebanon's Government Urged to Seek Justice for Journalists Killed by Israeli Forces

The Lebanese government has a fresh opportunity to achieve justice for victims of war crimes, including a Reuters journalist, Issam Abdallah, killed during an Israeli attack in 2023. The incident was described as deliberate by Human Rights Watch, and Israeli forces have since killed over 200 journalists in Gaza, many deliberately. Lebanon's new government, appointed in February 2025, has yet to take meaningful steps to advance accountability.

Key Takeaways:

• Human Rights Watch has documented a series of unlawful attacks and apparent war crimes committed by the Israeli military during hostilities in Lebanon, including additional apparently deliberate attacks on journalists, peacekeepers, medics, and civilian objects.
• The Israeli military's widespread use of explosive weapons in populated areas has made it impossible for many residents to return to their villages and houses.
• Human Rights Watch found that Hezbollah failed to take adequate precautions to protect civilians in its attacks on northern Israel between September and November 2024.
• The Lebanese government has not fully incorporated international crimes or laws of war violations into its domestic legal framework.
• At least 103 civilians in Lebanon have been killed in the ten months since a ceasefire went into effect between Israel and Hezbollah on November 27, 2024, according to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
• Human Rights Watch urges Lebanon's government to initiate domestic investigations into unlawful attacks and accede to the International Criminal Court's Rome Statute.

Statistics:

• At least 103 civilians in Lebanon have been killed in the ten months since a ceasefire went into effect between Israel and Hezbollah on November 27, 2024. (Source: UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights)
• The hostilities resulted in nearly US$ 14 billion in economic losses in Lebanon, including $6.8 billion worth of damage to physical structures alone. (Source: World Bank)
• 80,000 people remain displaced in Lebanon as of May 2025. (Source: UN report)
• Over 200 journalists have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, many deliberately. (Source: Reporters Without Borders)

Sources:

• Human Rights Watch, "Lebanon: Seek Justice for Journalists Killed by Israeli Forces" (October 13, 2025)
• Reporters Without Borders, "Israel's lethal attacks on Gaza" (2025)
• Committee to Protect Journalists, " Journalist deaths in Gaza" (2025)
• World Bank, "Lebanon Economic Overview" (2025)
• UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, "Protection of civilians in armed conflicts" (2024)
• United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL), "Investigation into the killing of journalists in south Lebanon" (2023)