A Strike in Southern Lebanon: A Journalist's Two-Year Pursuit of Accountability
A U.S. citizen cameraman injured in an October 2023 strike in southern Lebanon is still seeking answers from the Israeli and American governments. International organizations have concluded Israel was responsible for the attack.
The October 2023 Incident
On October 13, 2023, seven journalists were monitoring military activity in southern Lebanon near the Israeli border. The area saw hostilities after Hamas initiated attacks from Gaza into southern Israel, followed by Hezbollah firing rockets into Israel from Lebanon.
According to reports from journalists present, the group was equipped with protective gear visibly marked "PRESS." Dylan Collins, a 37-year-old American cameraman for Agence France Presse (AFP), stated that while he was livestreaming, a tank round struck their vicinity. A colleague, Christina Assi, a Lebanese photo editor for AFP, sustained shrapnel injuries to her right calf. Collins applied a tourniquet.
A second tank round then impacted a car belonging to Al Jazeera near Collins, causing it to explode. Collins suffered shrapnel wounds to his head, arms, and torso. Assi lost her right leg below the knee. Issam Abdallah, a cameraman with Reuters, was killed in the incident.
An analysis by Human Rights Watch of audio from cameras indicated that a drone circled the group 11 times in the 25 minutes preceding the strike.
Pursuit of Accountability
For two years following the incident, Collins has sought accountability from the Israeli and United States governments. He has inquired about the identity of the Israeli military personnel responsible for firing the tank rounds and the reasons for the action.
The Israeli government indicated to NPR that "the incident is still being examined." Collins stated that Israeli officials have not contacted him directly.
Collins has engaged with the U.S. State Department and the FBI regarding the matter. Vermont's Congressional delegation formally requested an independent investigation from the State Department under the War Crimes Act in 2024. The State Department responded, stating it had urged Israel to investigate and would continue engagement with Israeli officials to achieve "appropriate accountability." The State Department acknowledged the deaths and injuries of numerous journalists and civilians since the October 7 Hamas attacks and stated that the safety and security of U.S. citizens is a high priority.
*"Israeli officials have not contacted me directly." *
— Dylan Collins, injured American cameraman
Broader Pattern of Journalist Casualties
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reports that at least 246 journalists and media workers in Gaza and the region have been killed since the start of the conflict. CPJ stated that Israel was responsible for two-thirds of press killings in 2024 and 2025. CPJ reported that the Israel Defense Forces have committed more targeted killings of journalists than any other government's military since 1992. The Israeli government has consistently denied deliberately targeting journalists.
Multiple international organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Reuters, and AFP, concluded that Israel was responsible for the October 13 incident and characterized it as a deliberate attack on the seven journalists. CPJ categorized this incident and similar occurrences as "war crimes."
Recent Incident in Lebanon
In a separate incident in 2025, Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil, a reporter for Al-Akhbar, and freelance photojournalist Zeinab Faraj were traveling in a convoy in Lebanon when a drone attack hit the car in front of them. Their car was then struck by a grenade from another drone. They took shelter in a house, which was later targeted by an Israeli jet. Faraj was rescued; Khalil died under rubble.
Rescue efforts were reportedly obstructed by Israeli forces, who also fired on a Red Cross ambulance, according to Lebanese officials. The Israeli military stated it struck a vehicle after identifying an "immediate threat" linked to Hezbollah, denied obstructing rescue, and said the incident is under review.
*"The repeated strikes on the same location, the targeting of an area where journalists were sheltering, and the obstruction of medical and humanitarian access constitute a grave breach of international humanitarian law." *
— Sara Qudah, CPJ regional director
Personal Accounts
Christina Assi, 30, underwent 30 surgeries and spent three months in intensive care. She is currently receiving a prosthetic leg, undergoing rehabilitation, and intends to return to photojournalism.
Collins traveled from Lebanon to participate in a press conference with members of Congress outside the U.S. Capitol, where he reiterated his requests for an investigation. He reported that a staffer for a cabinet member in the Trump administration indicated that a statement might have been issued if he had been killed, but that it would be challenging for an injury.