A journalist and his crew were nearly killed on Thursday when a missile exploded just feet away from them as they reported in war-torn Lebanon, harrowing video shows.
Steve Sweeney and cameraman Ali Rida, who both work for Russian RT outlet, were reporting about the latest Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon when they suddenly noticed the missile heading right for them.
The bomb exploded just behind Sweeney in a powerful blast that sent him and Rida flying back as smoke and debris covered the ground.
“F—king hell,” Sweeney, a Beirut-based reporter, could be heard saying in the aftermath. “F—k.”
RT claimed the Israeli military, which has been conducting an aerial campaign against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, fired at the reporter’s position near the Al-Qasmiya Bridge.
Rida went as far as to claim Israel “deliberately attacked” the crew, who were clearly wearing attire that signaled them as members of the media.
The Israel Defense Forces said it had issued a warning for civilians to stay away from the crossing as part of its bombardment campaign on Thursday.
“In footage released in the past few hours, a journalist is seen at the Qasmiya crossing. An explicit warning had been issued regarding this area,” the IDF said in a statement.
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“The crossing was struck after sufficient time had passed since warnings. The crossing was again targeted today (Thursday) at 12:30.
“The IDF does not target civilians or journalists and operates in accordance with international law,” the Israeli military added.
