US Lawmakers Demand Accountability for Israeli Strike That Killed Journalist in Lebanon

Democratic legislators call for full investigations from both US and Israeli governments, labeling the 2023 attack a “war crime” as injured American journalist joins press conference.

WASHINGTON — A group of Democratic U.S. lawmakers held a press conference Thursday alongside an injured American journalist, calling for a thorough and credible investigation into a 2023 Israeli airstrike in Lebanon that killed a Reuters videographer and wounded six other reporters.

The October 13, 2023 strike, which hit a group of clearly identified journalists in southern Lebanon, killed Issam Abdallah and severely injured AFP’s Christina Assi, who later lost a leg. AFP video journalist Dylan Collins, an American citizen, was also wounded.

“We expect the Israeli government to conduct an investigation that meets international standards and to hold accountable those people who did this,” said Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), who has sought answers for two years across two administrations. He accused the Israeli government of stonewalling and stated, “The IDF has made no effort, none, to seriously investigate this incident.”

Collins, standing beside the lawmakers, urged the U.S. government to publicly acknowledge the attack and to pressure Israel. “I’d also like them to put pressure on their greatest ally in the Middle East, the Israeli government, to bring the perpetrators to account,” he said. The legislators described the strike as a “war crime.”

Their calls contradict the Israeli military’s recent communication to Senator Welch’s office that its probe is closed. However, the IDF told AFP as recently as October 2024 that findings were not yet concluded.

The incident has been scrutinized in multiple independent investigations. An AFP-led investigation concluded the strike was carried out with two 120mm tank shells fired from Israel. These findings were supported by separate probes from Reuters, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and Reporters Without Borders.

Vermont Congresswoman Becca Balint vowed continued pressure, stating, “We’re not letting it go. It doesn’t matter how long they stonewall us.”