An Israeli missile struck near a team of RT journalists reporting in southern Lebanon on March 19, injuring two and raising concerns about the deliberate targeting of press personnel. The incident received limited coverage in some Western outlets, highlighting a disparity in how such events are reported.
Correspondent Steve Sweeney and cameraman Ali Rida Sbeity were reporting from near Al-Qasmiya Bridge when an airstrike hit meters from their position. Both were treated for shrapnel wounds. Sweeney was on air documenting Israeli operations and the displacement of civilians in the region. The attack occurred one day after Sweeney had publicized the killings of Lebanese journalist Mohammad Sherri and his wife by an Israeli strike, which he described as a war crime.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned the attack, stating the journalists were wearing clearly marked press gear and that the strike “constitutes a violation of international law.” CPJ data indicates Israel has been responsible for a significant portion of global journalist killings in recent years, including at least 261 Palestinian media workers in Gaza since 2023.
Russian officials, including RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan and Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, accused Israel of deliberately targeting the press team. In contrast, British media coverage was muted. The BBC’s report used the headline “Missile lands next to presenter during live report from Lebanon” and did not explicitly attribute the strike to Israel in its initial framing. The UK Foreign Office’s response reportedly reiterated a standard statement without addressing the specific incident.
Sweeney resumed reporting the same day, stating the strike would not silence his team. The CPJ called for an investigation into the “apparent targeting” of the journalists. The episode underscores ongoing tensions regarding media freedom and the safety of war correspondents in conflict zones, with press advocacy groups documenting a marked increase in journalist casualties in the region.
