On November 27th, 2024, two journalists working to cover the situation in southern Lebanon from the town of Khiam were allegedly shot by the Israeli military. The journalists –  Associated Press correspondent, Mohammed Younis al-Zaatari, and Sputnik correspondent, Abdelkader Elbay, were both reportedly shot. According to open sources, Mohammed was shot twice in the leg and foot. A third journalist, Ali Hashisho who contributes to several news agencies, was wounded by shrapnel which struck his lip. According to open sources, Mohammed was shot twice in the leg and foot.

Different sources shared a video, seemingly recorded by Mohammed al-Zaatari himself, of the moment of the reported incident. In the video, the camera records buildings for a couple of seconds before suddenly lowering the focus towards the ground with shaking movements.

Journalist Hasan Shaaban shared a video to Facebook – recorded moments after the incident. In the video, Hasan says that a group of journalists were reporting in Ajrou, near Khiam, when the Israeli army fired shots at the group. He says that Mohammed Zaatari was shot in the leg. In the video, Hasan turns the camera from his face to show a group of five men walking toward him. In the video, Mohammed limps as blood darkens his jeans, and a photographer – Ali – walking beside him, videos the scene.

A Facebook post shared by Legal Agenda quotes Abdelkader, saying “The enemy wanted to target us because we are journalists, because they don’t want any of us to document their defeat and their hiding in houses.” He added, “Since the beginning of the war, the enemy has not respected any international conventions, and until the last moment, they continue to violate them.”

The post from Legal Agenda was an excerpt from an article in which the injuries to Abdelkader, Mohammed, and Ali are all reported. According to Legal Agenda, “The three photographers had begun documenting the return of residents to their villages since early morning. Upon reaching Nabatieh, they learned that residents had started entering the town of Khiam. Abdelkader was quoted as saying: “We decided to accompany them there because of Khiam’s special symbolic significance and because the town had witnessed fierce battles between the enemy and resistance fighters in recent days.”

The article goes on to report that Abdelkader said that “Upon reaching the entrance to Khiam, Lebanese army personnel asked them to proceed on foot. They got out of their car and began walking through the town’s neighborhoods and streets, documenting the destruction and devastation…When they reached the town square, they spotted remnants of equipment, bags, bullet casings, and tank tracks on the ground. They began hearing voices, which they believed to be Israeli soldiers, coming from one of the buildings. As soon as Al-Bay raised his camera to take a picture, bullets began raining down on them, wounding them.” Abdelkader added that the group “tried to stay as far away from the soldiers as possible, until a local resident who was checking on his house managed to take them to Marjeyoun Hospital, where they received first aid before each was transferred to a hospital for further treatment.”

According Lebanos News, both Mohammed and Abdelkader were taken to to Marjeyoun Hospital for treatment.

A Facebook post shared by Fadi Renault, following the incident, showed Mohammed “recovering in the hospital after undergoing initial treatment while awaiting some surgeries to remove bullets from his foot and thigh.” In an accompanying photograph, Mohammed is pictured lying on a hospital stretcher, covered in a purple blanket, and smiling toward the camera.

A post shared by @saidatv quoted the Lebanese Press Editors Syndicate, Joseph Qassifi, who “condemned the Israeli occupation forces’ shooting of a group of journalists and reporters in the town of Khiam.”

Posts shared by Saleh Heisa and Mada noted that following the attack, the Israeli military declared a curfew south of the Litani River.

Where sources identified the belligerent, all sources attributed the strike to the Israeli military.