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"Protesters gathered in Paris on World Press Freedom Day on Sunday to pay homage to journalists killed in Lebanon, calling for accountability for repeated attacks on reporters in conflict zones. The demonstration brought together journalists, activists and members of the public, with participants holding photographs of reporters killed while covering events in southern Lebanon. Some wore press vests and carried placards calling for the protection of journalists and freedom of the press. Footage shows protesters chanting, waving flags and holding images of journalists killed in southern Lebanon, while speakers addressed the crowd on press freedom and accountability in conflict reporting. Head of Middle East bureau at Reporters Without Borders, Jonathan Dagher slammed Israel over its conduct towards journalists in Gaza and Lebanon. “Two war crimes were committed by the Israeli army against Ahmed Khalil on April 20, 2026, in the South of Lebanon; the first one was targeting the journalist, who was targeted three times,” he explained, describing attacks on the reporter in separate locations over a matter of hours, before claiming that "the Israeli army did not allow rescue workers to reach the place" where she was wounded, leading to her death '3 hours later'. "That is a war crime, which is obstructing first aid and obstructing health workers," he added. "Amal Khalil was not the first journalist to pay the price," he continued. "Issam Abdallah was killed by Israeli forces in the south of Lebanon, as well as targeted and killed, according to investigations." "More than 220 journalists were killed in Gaza by Israeli forces since October 2023. Among them, or at least 70 percent, we have evidence that shows that these journalists were targeted and killed,” he stated. Meanwhile, journalist Emmanuel Poupard told the rally that there was "a single goal: to silence them (journalists), to prevent them from documenting, to hinder their investigative and reporting work on the ground." "To attack journalists is to attack the facts and the truth," he added. Meanwhile, protesters also hit out at the French government over its support for Tel Aviv and its failure to address the repeated attacks on journalists. “France holds responsibility through the arming of the Israeli state, through the arming of the Israeli army, and France hosts Reporters Without Borders. It is among the countries that defend press freedom. So it surprises me to see the impunity and the lack of reaction to the assassination of Amal Khalil. And it angered me enormously,” Fatima, a protester, said. Every year on May 3, the world commemorates World Press Freedom Day, which is designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to remind governments of their obligations towards press freedom. In a recent report published to mark the event, the UN noted that around 300 journalists have lost their lives in Gaza since October 2023, while many more have been injured. The UN report also noted that Lebanon has been 'the deadliest country for journalists' in 2026, whilst the Lebanese government has stated that 'Israeli military operations have resulted in the deaths of 28 Lebanese journalists since October 2023'."
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