It also reported that an Israeli Apache helicopter was seen over the site of the attack around the time of the attack, according to a Lebanese security source, which would have given Israeli forces added visibility over the journalists. Hours after the attack on October 13, CNN reported that the journalists attacked were wearing clearly labelled press flak jackets. Maher determined that the attack was likely a “supersonic event” due to the absence of an “approaching whoosh or whine, as you might see with artillery fire.”Ĭobb-Smith’s theory that the shells travelled from the southeast would be consistent of the findings of the investigations released Thursday. Cobb-Smith said his analysis of the damage left by the projectile suggested that the attack came from a southeasterly direction.ĬNN also consulted with audio expert Robert Maher, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Montana State University. “Two projectiles hit the area of the media crews and from the damage to the wall, the location where Issam’s body ended up and from an analysis of the second crater, I believe the shots came from the area of the high ground just over the border,” said Cobb-Smith, referring to a foot-high wall seen in aftermath video near Abdallah’s body. “The shooter should have seen the journalists from the tank,” he added.īritish weapons expert Chris Cobb-Smith said the photograph of the remnants of the shell clearly showed an “expended tank round.” “(Aftermath video is) very indicative of a direct fire munition and matches with the 120 fragments.” Very clearly high explosive and not a different type of shell,” said Marc Garlasco, a former defense intelligence analyst and UN war crimes investigator, who saw the photo obtained by CNN as well as video of the aftermath of the attack. “That is a 120mm high explosive tank shell. Neither the Lebanese army nor the Iran-backed Hezbollah are known to have such ammunition in their arsenal. The photo was verified by a source familiar with the investigation. Israel and Hezbollah were engaged in intense crossfire across the Lebanon-Israel border at the time.ĬNN has also seen a photo from the scene of the attack showing the tail fin of a 120 mm tank shell. “We target Hamas, we do not target civilians.”ĬNN’s forensic analysis of multiple videos, including a live AFP video feed from the time and place of the attack, has determined that the two strikes – 37 seconds apart – that hit the journalists was a supersonic event that came from the direction of Israel. “The guiding principle in Israel’s campaign against Hamas is we uphold the principles of international law regarding proportionality, necessity, distinction,” he said. The Israel Defense Forces on Friday said that the October incident in which a Reuters journalist was killed is still “under review.”ĪFP photographer Christina Assi had her leg amputated and remains in the hospital as a result of the strike, according to AFP.Įylon Levy, a spokesperson for the Israeli government, said Thursday that he was “not familiar” with the new reports. In a statement to Reuters, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Richard Hecht said: “We don’t target journalists.” He did not provide further comment, the news agency reported. AFP and HRW claimed the strike was a “deliberate,” targeted attack by Israel on the journalists. ![]() On Thursday, Reuters, AFP, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch released investigations into the circumstances of the deadly strike. Israeli tank fire killed Reuters videographer Issam Abdallah and injured six other international journalists in a double strike in southern Lebanon on October 13, forensic analysis by CNN suggests, confirming reports by two news organizations and two human rights groups.
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