UN Special Rapporteur condemns killing of Lebanese journalist Issam Abdallah as a war crime
In the lead-up to the two-year anniversary of the death of Reuters videographer and journalist Issam Abdallah, killed on 13 October 2023, the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Morris Tidball-Binz, has condemned his killing as a clear violation of international humanitarian law and a war crime. Issam was killed by Israeli tank fire whilst reporting from southern Lebanon. He was 37 years old at the time.
Mr Tidball Binz, speaking on 10 October 2025, the last day of his country visit to Lebanon, said:
“I would start by praising and expressing my solidarity and condolences for those on the front line that have lost their lives, including journalists, and I name them. Issam Abdallah, killed on 13 October 2023 from a premeditated, targeted, and double-tapped attack from the Israeli forces. A clear violation, in my opinion, of IHL, a war crime.”
The Special Rapporteur also noted the wounding and injury caused to several other journalists, who were together with Issam on that day, including AFP journalist Christina Assi, who suffered life-altering injuries as a result of the attack. The Special Rapporteur called for the investigation of every single death resulting from Israeli strikes using existing prosecutorial and judicial mechanisms and urged third States and the international community as a whole “to do more and better on behalf of the victims, to ensure their right to truth, justice, and reparations.”
The Special Rapporteur’s comments come at the conclusion of his country visit to Lebanon in which he met with the families of journalists killed by Israeli strikes, including Issam’s family, and survivors, and follow advocacy by the legal team representing Issam’s family, Tatyana Eatwell, Jennifer Robinson and Nikila Kaushik.
Issam’s family continues to campaign for a full criminal investigation and prosecution of those responsible, and reparation.
Background
Issam Abdallah, a 37-year-old Reuters videographer and journalist, was killed on 13 October 2023 whilst reporting from southern Lebanon, near Alma al-Shaab, approximately 1.2km from the Blue Line – the demarcation line that divides Lebanon from Israel and the Golan Heights. At the time he was killed, he was reporting together with six other journalists, Thaeir Al Sudani and Maher Nazeh (also Reuters), Dylan Collins and Christina Assi (Agence-France Presse (“AFP”)) and Carmen Joukhadar and Elie Brakhia (Al Jazeera). All were clearly identifiable as “PRESS”, including with press vests and a sign on the roof of their vehicle visible from the sky.
Following drone surveillance by the Israeli military, the journalists were fired upon twice. The first tank shell killed Issam and seriously injured AFP correspondent Christina Assi who sustained life-altering injuries. The second, fired 37 seconds later, directly struck and destroyed the Al Jazeera journalists’ vehicle.
An investigation by UNIFIL, deployed to monitor the ceasefire along the Blue Line, summarised in a report published by Reuters, has concluded that the source of the fire that killed Issam was an Israeli Merkava tank, that there was no exchange of fire across the Blue Line or in the area before the strike against the journalists, that the attack constituted a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006) and international law.
Issam’s killing prompted widespread condemnation and alarm from specialist NGOs, including Reporters without Borders (“RSF”), the Committee to Protect Journalists (“CPJ”), Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International, and calls for Issam’s killing to be investigated as a war crime.
To date, there has been no independent criminal investigation into Issam’s killing by the Israeli authorities or the Lebanese authorities. In response to Issam’s killing, IDF Spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht said, “we already have visuals. We’re doing cross examination. It’s a tragic thing”. In the two years since that statement, the IDF has still not published any information about its inquiry, and has refused to engage meaningfully with Issam’s family or legal representatives about his case.
A number of civil society organisations, including RSF, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch, the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (“TNO”), asked by Reuters to analyse evidence from the incident, and the news organisation AFP have conducted separate investigations into the circumstances of Issam’s killing. These investigations have all concluded, based on their analysis of the available evidence, including video and audio content recorded immediately before and at the time of the strike, eye-witness evidence, and ballistics, that Issam was killed by tank rounds fired at the group of journalists by an Israeli tank positioned in Israel near the Blue Line.
In July 2024, the family filed a submission and supporting information regarding the attack with the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel (“COI”), urging the COI to investigate Issam’s killing, and to give specific focus in carrying out its mandate to crimes against journalists.
Tatyana Eatwell, Jennifer Robinson and Nikila Kaushik act as international counsel for Abeer Abdallah, sister of Issam Abdallah.
Note to editors:
- The Preliminary Observations of the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions, Dr Morris Tidball-Binz, at the conclusion of his visit to Lebanon (29 September to 10 October 2025) are available here.
- Security Council Resolution 1701(2006) “calls for a full cessation of hostilities based upon, in particular the immediate cessation by Hizbollah of all attacks and the immediate cessation by Israel of all offences military operations” in Lebanon.
- Please direct any press queries to t.eatwell@doughtystreet.co.uk
Photograph credit: Issam Abdallah
