Funerals held for Al Mayadeen journalists killed by Israeli strike in Lebanon

Journalists in Lebanon have expressed concern that Israel is intentionally targeting media personnel

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Hundreds of mourners on Wednesday attended the funeral of two Al Mayadeen journalists killed by an Israeli strike while reporting in southern Lebanon.

The group met at the Al Mayadeen headquarters to pray over the coffins of correspondent Farah Omar and cameraman Rabih Al Maamari, who were killed on Tuesday while reporting on border clashes between Israel and Hezbollah near the town of Tayr Harfa, about 6km from the Lebanese border with Israel.

Their guide, Hussein Aqeel, was also killed.

Funeral attendees ululated and scattered rice over the coffins of Ms Omar and Mr Maamari.

“Farah always had a smile on her face in the studio, no matter what,” said Al Mayadeen’s correspondent as he covered the event live. “And Rabih’s only weapon was a camera.”

Israel and Hezbollah have scaled up their attacks, exchanging numerous missiles and munitions, though the conflict has fallen short of full-scale war.

Tuesday’s violence was the deadliest so far, with at least eight people killed in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon – four of whom were civilians, among them the two media workers.

A senior commander in the Al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hezbollah-allied Hamas movement that controls the Gaza Strip, was also killed, the group confirmed.

“There is no doubt that Al Mayadeen, in our coverage of this war, we were targeted,” head of the network Ghassan Bin Jiddo said.

“The fact is that all of our colleagues who are stationed in the south are all aware of this matter.”

Journalists in Lebanon have expressed concern that Israel is intentionally targeting media workers.

At Al Mayadeen's headquarters, as mourners gathered to pray before the funeral processions, Ms Omar's father Hossam called his daughter's death a "crime of the Israeli occupation to discourage and deter media professionals from their role".

“Farah was martyred but I hope that you will increase your determination and that there will be a thousand Farahs,” he added.

On October 13, Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah was killed by an Israeli strike on the southern Lebanese town of Alma Al Shaab, as a group of journalists gathered to cover clashes between Israel and Hezbollah from afar.

Six other journalists from Reuters, Al Jazeera and AFP were also injured.

Exactly a month after Mr Abdallah’s death, on November 13, a large group of journalists working for various outlets was nearly struck by Israeli artillery while covering clashes in the village of Yaroun.