A Reuters investigation indicates that a journalist in Lebanon was killed by tank fire originating from Israel

An investigation by Reuters, published on Thursday, revealed that two Israeli tank shells were responsible for the attack that killed Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah and injured six others in southern Lebanon on October 13.

The 37-year-old Abdallah died on the spot during the incident. The injured included two Reuters journalists, two from Al Jazeera, and two from AFP. AFP photographer Christina Assi, aged 28, was critically injured, resulting in the amputation of a leg, and she remains hospitalized.

An AFP-led investigation with Airwars, a non-governmental organization that examines civilian attacks in conflict zones, indicated that the first strike involved a 120-mm tank shell, a type used exclusively by the Israeli army in that area.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch also concluded that the first strike, which led to Abdallah’s death and Assi’s severe injuries, was likely a tank shell fired from Israel.

For its analysis, Reuters collaborated with the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), an independent research body associated with the Dutch defense ministry. The investigation identified the remains of a 120 mm tank shell tail fin, fired from a smoothbore tank gun located 1.34 km away from the journalists, across the Lebanese border.

The investigation examined evidence from the site, satellite imagery, and extensive footage, including video from Italian broadcaster Rai, which captured the launch point of the second strike, the tank shell in flight, and the sound of both rounds’ firing and impact from Al Jazeera’s live feed.

Using the audio from Al Jazeera, TNO determined the firing point to be 1,343 meters from the journalists, based on the time lapse between the sound of the strikes and the muzzle blasts. The sound signatures from the strikes were consistent, indicating they were both tank rounds fired from the same position.

The investigation traced the origin of the shells to an Israeli military outpost in Jordeikh, near the border.

Reuters editor-in-chief Alessandra Galloni stated, “The evidence we now have, and have published today, shows that an Israeli tank crew killed our colleague Issam Abdallah.” She urged Israel to provide an explanation for the incident and to hold accountable those responsible for Abdallah’s death and the injuries to Christina Assi of AFP, their colleagues Thaier Al-Sudani and Maher Nazeh, and the three other reporters.