Lebanon submits complaint to UN over Israeli attack on journalists

BEIRUT, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon filed on Tuesday a complaint to the UN Security Council (UNSC) against Israel for launching attacks on journalists, said Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib.

"Israel's deliberate and direct bombing of the journalists' convoy is a violation of international humanitarian law and a war crime," Bou Habib said in a statement carried by the National News Agency (NNA).

On Monday, two Israeli strikes targeted a team of journalists from several media outlets covering field developments in the southern Lebanese village of Yaroun.

Al Jazeera said the bombing injured its photographer Issam Mawasi, and damaged the media network's vehicle.

"We realize that journalists miraculously escaped serious injury yesterday while covering the events near the Blue Line, and peacekeepers assisted in recovering their vehicles and equipment," said Andrea Tenenti, spokesperson for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.

On Oct. 14, the Lebanese Foreign Ministry submitted a complaint to the UNSC about Israel's deliberate killing of Lebanese photojournalist Issam Abdallah, who worked for Reuters.

On Oct. 13, an Israeli bombing targeted journalist crews on the outskirts of the town of Alma al-Shaab in southern Lebanon, killing Abdallah and wounding five other journalists from Reuters, Agence France-Presse, and Al Jazeera.

The Lebanon-Israel border witnessed increased tension for over a month after Lebanese armed group Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets toward Shebaa Farms on Oct. 8 in support of the Hamas attacks on Israel the previous day, prompting the Israeli forces to respond by firing heavy artillery toward several areas in southeastern Lebanon. ■