- RT journalist Steve Sweeney was injured in an Israeli missile strike in south Lebanon
- Sweeney and cameraman Ali Rida were hospitalised but remain in stable condition
- Rida claimed the strike was deliberate despite visible press vests on them
In a matter of seconds, a journalist reporting from a location in Lebanon already destroyed Israeli strikes was saved from another hit on Thursday.
A dramatic video shows RT journalist Steve Sweeney reporting from south Lebanon when a missile landed just metres away from his position. Within seconds, the scene becomes one of chaos as debris flies around while Sweeney dives for cover.
Sweeney and his cameraman Ali Rida were both injured in the blast and later taken to hospital, per reports. Visuals shared after the incident show shrapnel being removed from Sweeney's arm, though both are reported to be in stable condition.
In a video from the hospital, Rida alleged a deliberate hit by the Israeli forces, claiming theur press vest was clearly visible at the time of the strike.
Israel has maintained issuing warnings for civilians and media personnel ahead of strikes.
The incident comes as the Middle East war inches towards its fourth week, with no signs of abatement. Lebanon is among the worst hit countries, where civilian infrastructure has widely under attack. This includes residences and public infrastructure, like bridges and transport routes, resulting in widespread displacement.
"Israeli enemy fighter jets struck at dawn, targeting the towns of Bafliyeh and Hanine in the Tyre and Bint Jbeil districts," the official National News Agency (NNA) reported, adding that Israeli forces had hit five other towns in the south of the country.
Lebanon was pulled into the regional war on March 2, when Hezbollah fired rockets toward neighbouring Israel in response to the killing of its ally Iran's supreme leader in Israeli-US attacks.
Israel responded with heavy airstrikes across Lebanon and ground incursions in the border area. So far, Israeli strikes have killed over 1,000 people in the country, a grim figure that comes at a time when the Muslim community all over the world celebrates Eid.
