Israel faces renewed scrutiny over journalists, Lebanon strikes
Reporters Without Borders on Friday called on Israel to release all arbitrarily detained Palestinian journalists, raising particular concern over the recent arrest of freelance journalist Mohammed Awad.
Awad, who has worked for AFP and Al Jazeera, was detained at his home near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday and taken away in a military vehicle, according to his family.
The Israeli army said Awad was suspected of advancing terrorist attacks and alleged that he operated on behalf of Hamas, but did not provide evidence or further details.
RSF said the terrorism accusation was frequently levelled against Palestinian journalists without evidence and called on the Israeli army to provide answers over Awad's detention.
The Palestinian Prisoners' Society said Awad's arrest brought the number of Palestinian journalists detained by Israel to 40.
The Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate described the arrest as part of what it called a systematic Israeli policy targeting Palestinian journalists, accusing Israel of seeking to silence the press and obstruct the reporting of events.
Deadly Israeli strike hits southern Lebanon
Separately, at least seven people were killed and three others injured early Saturday in an Israeli airstrike on a house in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanon's National News Agency.
The strike hit a house on the outskirts of Ansar in the Nabatieh district, toward the town of Zrariyeh, destroying the building, NNA reported.
Emergency and rescue teams were searching the rubble for victims and injured people and transferring casualties to hospitals in Nabatieh.
NNA described the attack as the first Israeli airstrike to reach that far inside Lebanon since a ceasefire took effect two months ago.
Israeli warplanes also carried out a series of strikes targeting the Ali al-Taher hill on the outskirts of Nabatieh al-Fawqa, according to the agency.
The strikes came despite a framework agreement signed by Beirut and Tel Aviv on June 26 under US sponsorship. The agreement calls for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory in return for the deployment of the Lebanese army and the disarmament of armed groups, including Hezbollah.
Israel continues to hold positions in southern Lebanon, including areas occupied for decades and others seized during fighting in 2023 and 2024. According to the report, the latest conflict has killed 4,335 people and injured 12,277 others.
