Incident in Southern Lebanon
In October 2023, Dylan Collins, a 37-year-old American cameraman for Agence France Presse (AFP), was among seven journalists monitoring military activity in southern Lebanon near the Israeli border. This occurred less than a week after Hamas initiated attacks from Gaza into southern Israel, followed by Hezbollah firing rockets into Israel from Lebanon.
Collins and his colleagues were equipped with protective gear visibly marked 'PRESS'. Collins stated that while he was livestreaming and texting a colleague, a tank round struck their vicinity. According to Collins, a significant explosion occurred, and his colleague, Christina Assi, a Lebanese photo editor for AFP, was heard stating that she could not feel her legs. Assi sustained shrapnel injuries to her right calf, prompting Collins to apply a tourniquet.
A second tank round then impacted a car belonging to Al Jazeera, approximately six feet from Collins, causing it to explode. Collins suffered shrapnel wounds to his head, arms, and torso. Assi subsequently lost her right leg below the knee. Issam Abdallah, a cameraman with Reuters, was killed in the incident.
Pursuit of Accountability
For two years, Collins, a U.S. citizen residing in Lebanon, has sought accountability from the Israeli and American governments regarding the incident. He has inquired about the identity of the Israeli military personnel responsible for firing the tank rounds and the reasons for the action.
In a statement to NPR, the Israeli government indicated that 'the incident is still being examined,' though Collins states that Israeli officials have not contacted him directly. Collins has engaged with the U.S. State Department and the FBI regarding the matter.
Earlier this month, 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. Collins expressed an expectation of support from the U.S. government as an American citizen. He also 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.
International Findings and U.S. Response
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) stated that multiple international organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Reuters, and AFP, concluded that Israel was responsible for the incident and characterized it as a deliberate attack on the seven journalists. Collins maintains that the journalists could not have been mistaken for combatants. 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. CPJ categorized this incident and similar occurrences as 'war crimes'.
CPJ reports that at least 246 journalists and media workers in Gaza and the region have been killed since the start of the conflict. The Israeli government has consistently denied deliberately targeting journalists.
Collins stated his view that the U.S. government's apparent lack of engagement on the issue might be due to political expediency, noting that the United States provides arms to Israel, which is a key U.S. ally in the Middle East.
Vermont's Congressional delegation has provided support to Collins in his pursuit of an investigation. In 2024, they formally requested an independent investigation from the State Department under the War Crimes Act. The State Department responded, stating it had urged Israel to investigate and would continue engagement with Israeli officials to achieve 'appropriate accountability'. A letter from the State Department acknowledged the deaths and injuries of numerous journalists and civilians since the October 7 Hamas attacks and emphasized that the safety and security of U.S. citizens is a high priority. Collins, however, stated he had expected more substantial engagement from the American government.
Colleague's Recovery and Perspective
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. Assi, speaking from her home near Beirut, expressed the view that the incident was 'systematic' and a 'plan,' intended to 'scare and kill journalists' with 'pure impunity' because they anticipate no accountability.