Three Lebanese journalists killed in Israeli strike

Three journalists person been killed successful an Israeli airstrike connected a gathering known to beryllium lodging reporters successful south-eastern Lebanon, witnesses person told the BBC.

The onslaught was carried retired connected a guesthouse successful a compound successful Hasbaya being utilized by much than a twelve journalists from astatine slightest 7 media organisations - with a courtyard containing cars intelligibly marked with "press".

The 3 men worked for broadcasters Al-Manar TV and Al Mayadeen TV, which issued statements paying tribute to their killed employees.

Lebanon's accusation curate said the onslaught was deliberate and described it arsenic a "war crime".

The Israeli subject has not yet commented, but has antecedently denied targeting journalists.

Those killed were camera relation Ghassan Najjar and technologist Mohamed Reda from pro-Iranian quality transmission Al Mayadeen, arsenic good arsenic camera relation Wissam Qassem from the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar.

The Lebanese ministry of wellness said 3 others were injured successful the blast.

Five reporters had been killed successful anterior Israeli strikes successful Lebanon, including Reuters writer Issam Abdallah.

Footage broadcast by Al-Jadeed TV - whose journalists were besides sharing the location - showed a bombed-out gathering with a collapsed extortion and floors covered successful rubble.

A conveyance utilized for TV broadcasts was overturned connected its side, its outer crockery mangled with cabling nearby.

"All authoritative parties were told that this location was being utilized arsenic a stay-house for journalists. We coordinated with them all," an Al-Jadeed journalist, caked successful factual dust, said successful a unrecorded broadcast portion panting and coughing.

Lebanese journalists covering the struggle successful the southbound of the state had to relocate from adjacent Marj'youn to Hasbaya, arsenic the erstwhile became excessively dangerous.

Youmna Fawwaz, a newsman for broadcaster MTV Lebanon, told the BBC that journalists successful the compound were awoken astatine astir 03:00 section clip (01:00 BST) by the strike.

She said ceilings had fallen successful connected them, and they were surrounded by rubble and dust, with the dependable of combatant jets overhead.

Each quality organisation had their ain gathering successful the compound, she said, and the gathering lodging the Al Mayadeen reporters was "obliterated" portion al-Manar employees were inside.

Ms Fawwaz said it was a media compound known arsenic specified to some Israel and Hezbollah.

"The airstrike was carried retired connected purpose. Everyone knew we were there. All the cars were labelled arsenic property and TV. There wasn't adjacent a informing fixed to us."

She added: "They are trying to terrorise america conscionable similar they bash successful Gaza. Israelis are trying to forestall america from covering the story."

Lebanon's accusation curate accused Israel of intentionally targeting journalists, successful contravention of planetary law.

"The Israeli force waited for the journalists' nighttime interruption to betray them successful their sleep," Ziad Makary wrote successful a station connected X.

"This is an assassination, aft monitoring and tracking, with anterior readying and design, arsenic determination were 18 journalists determination representing 7 media institutions."

Hasbaya, astir 5 miles (eight kilometres) from the Israeli border, is inhabited by Muslims, Christians, arsenic good arsenic radical from the Druze taste and spiritual minority.

It has seen attacks connected its peripheries successful caller weeks, but this was the archetypal onslaught connected the colony itself.

The onslaught comes arsenic portion of an expanding struggle successful Lebanon, wherever Israel has been intensifying aerial strikes for weeks - arsenic good arsenic launching a crushed penetration connected borderline towns and villages successful the south.

Lebanese authorities person recorded implicit 1,700 aerial strikes crossed the state successful the past 3 weeks.

Hostilities broke retired betwixt Israel and Hezbollah connected 8 October past year, the time aft Hamas's onslaught connected Israel that killed astir 1,200 people. The Iran-backed equipped radical has since been firing rockets and drones into Israel successful what it described arsenic "solidarity" with Palestinians successful Gaza.

Nearly 2,600 radical successful Lebanon person been killed successful the existent conflict, according to the country's wellness ministry - galore of the deaths occurring since Israel began escalating its attacks connected 23 September.

Around 60,000 radical successful bluish Israel person been displaced by Hezbollah rocket fire, and the Israeli authorities has declared returning them to their homes to beryllium a cardinal objective.

In confederate Lebanon, outer imagery examined by the BBC shows Israel's intensified bombing run has caused much harm to buildings successful 2 weeks than occurred during a twelvemonth of cross-border fighting.

Data shows that much than 3,600 buildings successful Lebanon look to person been damaged oregon destroyed betwixt 2 and 14 October - astir 54% of the full damage.

The onslaught comes days aft the Israeli subject accused six Al Jazeera journalists moving successful bluish Gaza of being affiliated with Hamas oregon different equipped Palestinian groups.

The Qatari broadcaster said it denies and "vehemently condemns" the allegations.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, astatine slightest 123 Palestinian journalists and media workers person been killed successful Gaza since Israel launched a warfare successful the territory past year.

Gaza's Hamas-run wellness authorization has reported much than 42,000 radical killed since.

Two Israeli journalists person besides been killed successful the conflict.