US lawmakers join calls for justice in Israel’s attacks on journalists

US Lawmakers Urge Accountability for Israeli Attacks on Journalists

A year and a half after an Israeli double-tap strike injured American journalist Dylan Collins and killed Reuters video reporter Issam Abdallah in southern Lebanon, lawmakers are reiterating their calls for accountability.

The incident has left many questioning who pulled the trigger and what military orders led to the deadly attack on clearly identifiable reporters. Despite numerous requests, Israel has not provided adequate answers on why it targeted journalists during a period of heightened violence.

Representatives from the US Capitol joined Collins outside the Capitol building in Washington DC, seeking justice for Collins and the 250 other journalists killed by Israel. "I want to know who pulled the trigger; I want to know what command structure approved it, and I want to know why it's gone unaddressed until today – on our strike and all the others targeted," Collins said.

Senator Peter Welch expressed frustration with Israel's claim that an investigation into the incident ruled out any intentionality, stating that he had sent seven letters to the US Department of State demanding answers. Welch called the response "obfuscation" and accused Israeli authorities of not questioning soldiers who were involved in the attack.

The lack of accountability has sparked outrage among press freedom advocates. Senator Chris Van Hollen emphasized the importance of holding Israel accountable, saying that the incident is part of a broader pattern of impunity for attacks on Americans and journalists by the Israeli government.

Amid the push for justice, Collins paid tribute to his colleague Abdallah, who was killed in the 2023 Israeli attack. The killing had a "chilling effect" on coverage of the conflict, which escalated into a full-blown war between Israel and Hezbollah in September last year.

The US has provided Israel with more than $21 billion in military aid over the past two years, despite the numerous attacks on journalists. Collins decried the lack of action from the US government, stating that he had reached out to officials in Washington DC but was met with deafening silence.

Israeli forces have a history of killing journalists without accountability. Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by Israeli soldiers last year, and numerous other journalists have been targeted by the Israeli military. The lack of action from the US government has sparked accusations of dereliction of duty.

The Committee to Protect Journalists is urging the Trump administration to take action and demand completion of probes into the killing of Abu Akleh in 2022 and the 2023 attack on journalists in Lebanon.

the fact that it's been a year since that incident and still no real answers from Israel is crazy... i mean, if they're saying an investigation ruled out intentionality then where are those findings? shouldn't we at least get some transparency on this stuff? and the US government just providing more military aid to Israel while all this is going on is just mind-boggling... like, what's the point of that if we're not gonna hold them accountable for their actions?

its so wild that we're still talkin about these incidents like 2 yrs ago... its a reminder that silence ain't golden, especially when it comes to justice & accountability
us gov's been giving israel all this military aid without askin for much in return, but where's the push for press freedom? whats the cost of lookin the other way? i think its time 4 us 2 take a hard look at our own complicity in these situations & ask ourselves if we're just enable-in' the system that's hurtin people

come on US lawmakers are still trying to get some answers from Israel about that brutal double tap strike last year? it's been ages since Dylan Collins got injured and Issam Abdallah got killed, and you're just now coming out with this? what took you so long?! ‍ i mean seriously, how many times do journalists need to get hit before the US government starts taking some action?!

and don't even get me started on Israel's lame excuse that an investigation ruled out any intentionality. are they kidding us?!! senator welch is right, it's just obfuscation plain and simple. and what really gets my goat is that the US has been giving Israel billions of dollars in military aid while these journalists keep getting killed. like, what's the point of all this money if we can't even get justice for our own citizens?!

and let's not forget about Shireen Abu Akleh who was killed by Israeli soldiers last year. another journalist gone, and still no action from the US government. it's like they're just turning a blind eye to all this violence. the Committee to Protect Journalists needs to keep pushing for accountability, and we need to hold our lawmakers accountable too!

man... this is so messed up the fact that they're still not answering who was behind the attack that killed those two journalists in Lebanon is just crazy it's like they're hiding something, you know? and what's with all the money we're giving Israel anyway? $21 billion in military aid over the past two years... that's insane i mean, shouldn't we be more concerned about press freedom and journalists getting killed than just handing out cash to our allies?

omg this is so messed up Israel needs 2 answer 4 these attacks on journalists! i mean, who pulls the trigger and gives the order 2 attack ppl just tryin 2 do their job? Collins is still out here fightin 4 justice and it's about time some1 from congress steps up 2 support him. this whole thing is soooo frustrating. i mean, we're talkin bout over 250 journalists killed by Israel & no one's sayin squat US gov needs 2 do better than just givin Israel more money and pretendin it's all good

I'm really disappointed to see how many journalists have lost their lives in Israel's conflicts, it's just not right . The lack of accountability from both Israel and the US government is totally unacceptable . I mean, we've got over $21 billion in military aid going to Israel every year, but no concrete action being taken to hold those responsible for journalist attacks? That's just not fair .

I'm also super frustrated that Collins had to go through all that drama to get answers from the US government . It's crazy how hard it is for him and his colleagues to find out who was behind that double-tap strike in Lebanon, especially since they're clearly identifiable reporters .

We need to take a closer look at our government's stance on press freedom and make sure we're not just turning a blind eye to these atrocities . The Committee to Protect Journalists is right on point with their demands for action – it's time for the US to step up and hold Israel accountable . We can't keep justifying this kind of behavior, especially when innocent lives are lost .

This incident is super frustrating... like what even is going on? Israel's always saying they're not targeting journalists, but when it happens, suddenly there's all this secrecy & no answers . It's not right, you know? The US has been giving Israel a ton of aid without even making sure they're being held accountable for their actions . Collins is totally right, we need to know who was behind the attack & why it wasn't addressed sooner . This is part of a bigger problem, too - journalists have been getting killed by Israel's military without any consequences . It's like, where's the justice?

Wow , this is so messed up! Israel's lack of accountability for attacking journalists is insane . I mean, how can you just keep shooting reporters without anyone questioning it? It's like they think they're above the law or something . And what really gets me is that the US government has given them billions of dollars in military aid despite all this going on . It's like we're condoning their behavior and saying "good job" for killing journalists . The fact that Collings went to Capitol Hill with his injury still fresh and no one is holding Israel accountable is just infuriating .

This is so messed up . I mean, who does Israel think they are? Targeting journalists and then claiming it was just a "mistake" . The fact that the US government is okay with providing them with billions of dollars in military aid despite all this is just wrong . And Collins had to go through all that drama just to get some answers . What's even more annoying is that they're still dragging their feet on holding anyone accountable . We need to start taking a stand for press freedom and journalist safety .

I'm getting so frustrated with Israel's lack of transparency about their military actions, especially when it comes to targeting journalists . I mean, how can you justify killing someone who's just trying to do their job? It's crazy that they claim an investigation ruled out any intentionality, but the senator is right, that sounds like obfuscation . The fact that the US has given them billions in military aid without holding them accountable is just wild . We need to be pushing for real answers and justice for Dylan Collins and Issam Abdallah . It's time for some serious accountability on this issue!

So like, if we're talking about accountability for Israeli attacks on journalists, I'm all for it! The stats are crazy - like, over $21 billion in military aid to Israel from the US in just two years, and what do we get? A lack of answers on who pulled the trigger in that double-tap strike that killed Reuters reporter Issam Abdallah.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, there have been 250 journalists killed by Israel since 1970 - that's like, a whole lotta reporters gone too soon! And don't even get me started on Shireen Abu Akleh - her killing was totally avoidable, and now we're seeing calls for accountability.

The US has got to do better, fam! We need to hold our allies accountable for human rights abuses. Here are some stats that just blew my mind: In 2022, the number of journalists killed worldwide was 123 - and Israel accounted for 10% of those fatalities alone!

We need action from the US government ASAP. No more "deafening silence" from officials in Washington DC. Let's see some real change on this issue!

It's astonishing that nearly two years have passed since Issam Abdallah's tragic death, and still, we're not seeing any concrete actions from our government to hold Israel accountable for their actions . The fact that Israeli forces have a history of killing journalists without repercussions is deeply concerning, and it's time we start taking this issue seriously .

The US has a moral obligation to protect its citizens and journalists who are reporting on the ground, but instead, our government seems to be turning a blind eye to these atrocities . I'm not surprised by the lack of action from the Trump administration; it's been clear that this administration doesn't prioritize press freedom or human rights .

It's crucial that we push for accountability and transparency in these cases. We need to know who pulled the trigger, what military orders led to the attack, and why Israel has not been held accountable for their actions . The Committee to Protect Journalists is doing some great work, but we need more than just lip service; we need concrete actions that will bring justice to victims like Issam Abdallah .

The US has provided Israel with billions of dollars in military aid over the past two years, and it's time we start asking ourselves what exactly we're getting for our money . Is it worth supporting a government that seems to be more interested in silencing its critics than protecting human life? I think not

the whole thing with israel and their treatment of journalists is just wild i mean, 250 other journalists killed by them and still no one's held accountable? it's like they're above the law or something meanwhile the us is giving them billions in military aid and acting all nonchalant about it and what really gets my goat is that we're supposed to be a country that values freedom of speech and press but instead we're just enabling this stuff by not holding our allies accountable for their actions the committee to protect journalists should just keep pushing for answers until someone finally does something about it

my heart is going out to dylan collins and issam abdallah's families still can't believe what happened to them that double tap strike was so senseless . it's just not right that us taxpayers are giving israel billions of dollars a year without any real accountability for their actions. like, where's the justice in that? . i'm with senator peter welch all the way on this one - it's time to hold israel accountable for targeting journalists. we need to make sure that these kinds of attacks don't happen again . my thoughts are with all the other journalists who have lost their lives due to israeli actions

It's crazy how long this has been going on Israel's lack of transparency about these attacks on journalists is just mind-boggling. I mean, you'd think that after a year and a half, someone would come forward to say what happened. But nope, they're still dodging questions like it's nobody's business

I'm not sure why the US government hasn't pushed back harder on this. We give Israel billions of dollars in military aid every year and expect them to just magically start following international law? It doesn't add up.

And what really gets me is that these attacks have a real impact on people's lives. Journalists can't do their jobs without feeling like they're in danger, and the public isn't getting the accurate information they deserve because of it

It's time for some real accountability here. We need to know who pulled the trigger and why, and we need to hold Israel and the US government responsible for not doing enough to protect journalists

I'm kinda surprised that it's been a year since that incident happened... 1.5 years is like, an eternity to get answers, you know? Did you guys see those stats on journalist deaths by Israel? Like, over 250 killed and nobody's held accountable . That's wild. The US has been pumping in billions of dollars to Israel but what about the reporters who got caught in the crossfire ? I mean, Peter Welch is right on point with "obfuscation" - it's like, come on Israel, give us some answers already . And Collins is still pushing for justice for his colleague Abdallah... that's dedication . The CPJ needs to keep the pressure on too... can't let this impunity go unchecked

omg u know i'm literally SHAKING thinking about this those american journalists dyin in israel its just not right at all! theyre literally tryna silence ppl who wanna expose whats goin on behind closed doors and the us gov just standin there doin nothin 21 billion in military aid tho like, what's the point of that if we dont hold israel accountable for killin journalists? i wish senator welch would just get to the bottom of this already and collins u r so brave for speakin out about this we gotta keep pushin for justice for abdallah too

its wild how these lawmakers are still trying to get answers from Israel after all this time, i mean i get it, they wanna know who was behind that double-tap strike that killed Issam Abdallah... but at this point, doesn't the US government just feel like they're stuck in a never-ending cycle of diplomatic dance? like, how many times do you have to ask for answers before someone actually takes responsibility?

and it's so frustrating when they bring up this example of Israeli forces killing journalists without accountability... Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by the same people who are now getting billions in military aid from the US. it feels like the US government is just enabling Israel's impunity, rather than actually holding them accountable.

can we please just get some real action here? its not like this is a partisan issue... journalists are dying and the US government is supposed to be looking out for their safety... shouldn't that be a non-negotiable priority?