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- France Says 'Light Must Be Shed' on Issam Abdallah’s Death
France on Tuesday said "all light" must be shed on the October 13 strike in southern Lebanon that killed a Reuters journalist and injured six others, including two from Agence France-Presse (AFP).
"All light must be shed on this tragedy," a French foreign ministry statement said, adding that international humanitarian law obliges warring parties to "protect civilians, and in particular journalists, who must be able to exercise their profession freely and in complete safety."
An investigation into the strike published on December 7 by AFP pointed to a tank shell only used by the Israeli army in the high-tension border region.
Top US diplomat Antony Blinken on the same day welcomed an Israeli investigation into the strike as "important and appropriate."
The strike killed Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah, 37, instantly.
The other journalists present—two from Reuters, two from Al Jazeera, and two from AFP—were all injured.
AFP photographer Christina Assi, 28, was seriously wounded and later had a leg amputated.
Israel's army said on Friday that the incident occurred in an "active combat zone" and was under review.
Rights groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have said the journalists were clearly identifiable as members of the media and called for a "war crime" investigation.
"All light must be shed on this tragedy," a French foreign ministry statement said, adding that international humanitarian law obliges warring parties to "protect civilians, and in particular journalists, who must be able to exercise their profession freely and in complete safety."
An investigation into the strike published on December 7 by AFP pointed to a tank shell only used by the Israeli army in the high-tension border region.
Top US diplomat Antony Blinken on the same day welcomed an Israeli investigation into the strike as "important and appropriate."
The strike killed Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah, 37, instantly.
The other journalists present—two from Reuters, two from Al Jazeera, and two from AFP—were all injured.
AFP photographer Christina Assi, 28, was seriously wounded and later had a leg amputated.
Israel's army said on Friday that the incident occurred in an "active combat zone" and was under review.
Rights groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have said the journalists were clearly identifiable as members of the media and called for a "war crime" investigation.
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