Paul Lashmar (@paullashmar.bsky.social)

UN experts call for investigation into Israel’s targeting of journalists in Lebanon <article data-history-node-id="437265" about="https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/un-experts-call-investigation-israels-targeting-journalists-lebanon" class="live-blog-update default clearfix"> <h2> <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/un-experts-call-investigation-israels-targeting-journalists-lebanon" rel="bookmark"> <span class="field field-title">UN experts call for investigation into Israel’s targeting of journalists in Lebanon</span> </a> </h2> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-field-text"><p style="line-height:1.38">UN experts condemned Israel’s killing of journalists and urged for an international independent investigation after three Lebanese journalists were targeted on Saturday.</p> <p>“We denounce strongly what has now become a standard, dangerous practice of Israel to target and kill journalists and then claim, without providing any credible evidence, that they were involved within armed groups,” the experts said on Thursday.</p> <p>“Journalists carrying out their professional duties in armed conflict are civilians and must not be targeted or made the object of attack,” the UN experts continued, highlighting that this “constitutes a serious violation of international human rights and humanitarian law and a war crime.”</p> <p>On 28 March, Israeli forces killed two reporters, Ali Shoeib and Ratima Ftouni, and cameraman Mohamed Ftouni in Lebanon while they were reporting on the war.</p> <p>The only evidence produced to justify these attacks was what Israeli forces have now admitted was a photoshopped image of Ali Shoeib.</p> <p>At least 259 journalists and media workers have been killed by Israel since 2023, including 210 Palestinian journalists in Gaza and 14 in Lebanon.</p> <p>UN experts say this is part of an effort to “silence reporting on Israel’s current military action in Lebanon, and shut down news coverage of war crimes committed, just as it did in Gaza."</p> </div> </div> </article> https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/un-experts-call-investigation-israels-targeting-journalists-lebanon