Key Takeaways
- An Israeli tank strike in Lebanon killed a Reuters journalist and injured six others, including an American cameraman, Dylan Collins.
- The attack is widely believed to have been a deliberate targeting of journalists, with human rights groups calling it a "war crime".
- The Israeli government has denied deliberately targeting journalists, but has not provided any explanation for the attack.
- The US government has not taken significant action to investigate the attack or hold Israel accountable, despite Collins’ efforts to seek justice.
- The incident highlights the risks faced by journalists in conflict zones and the need for greater protection and accountability for those who target them.
Introduction to the Incident
Dylan Collins, an American cameraman with Agence France Presse (AFP), was on assignment in southern Lebanon in October 2023, covering the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Collins and six other journalists were monitoring military activity along the Lebanese-Israeli border when an Israeli tank shell landed among them, killing one journalist and injuring six others, including Collins. The attack was widely condemned by human rights groups, who called it a "war crime" and a deliberate targeting of journalists.
The Attack and Its Aftermath
Collins recalled the moment of the attack, saying that he and his colleagues were all wearing flak jackets and helmets marked with "PRESS" when the first tank shell landed. Shrapnel shredded the leg of his colleague, Christina Assi, and Collins rushed to her aid, applying a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. A second tank round then landed, hitting a car belonging to Al Jazeera and causing a massive explosion. Collins was injured in the blast, taking shrapnel to his head, arms, and torso. Assi lost her right leg below the knee, and Issam Abdallah, a cameraman with Reuters, was killed.
Seeking Accountability
Collins has been seeking accountability for the attack, pressing the Israeli and American governments for answers. He has met with the State Department and the FBI, but so far, no one has been held accountable for the attack. The Israeli government has told NPR that the incident is still being examined, but Collins says he has never been contacted by Israeli officials. The Committee to Protect Journalists notes that various international organizations have concluded that Israel conducted a deliberate attack on the seven journalists. Collins says there is no way the Israelis could have confused them with combatants, given that they were all wearing clear identification and a drone had circled the group 11 times in the 25 minutes leading up to the strike.
The US Government’s Response
The US government has not taken significant action to investigate the attack or hold Israel accountable. Collins has reached out to both the Biden and Trump administrations, but so far, he has received little response. A staffer for a current cabinet member in the Trump administration told him that if he had been killed, they might have been able to put out a statement, but since he was only wounded, it would be difficult to take action. Collins believes that the US government’s lack of response is due to the close relationship between the US and Israel, with the US providing significant military aid to Israel.
The Impact on Journalists
The attack on Collins and his colleagues highlights the risks faced by journalists in conflict zones. At least 246 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza and the region since the start of the war, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. The Israeli government has repeatedly denied deliberately targeting journalists, but human rights groups say that the evidence suggests otherwise. Collins’ colleague, Christina Assi, who lost her leg in the attack, says that she knows why the Israelis fired on them. "It’s systematic, it’s a plan," she said. "The intention is purely to scare and kill, basically, journalists. And they’ve been doing so with pure impunity because they know that no one will hold them accountable."
Conclusion
The attack on Dylan Collins and his colleagues is a sobering reminder of the risks faced by journalists in conflict zones. The lack of accountability for the attack is a concern for all those who value a free and independent press. Collins’ efforts to seek justice and accountability are ongoing, and he hopes that his story will raise awareness about the importance of protecting journalists and holding those who target them accountable. As Collins said, "I don’t think I was super-optimistic about receiving all sorts of support from the American government, but I certainly expected more than nothing."
