US Lawmakers Press Israel for Answers Over Double‑Tap Strike That Killed Journalist Issam Abdallah

American journalist Dylan Collins and press freedom advocates renewed calls for accountability after a double‑tap strike on October 13, 2023, in southern Lebanon killed Reuters video reporter Issam Abdallah and wounded six journalists, including Collins.

Collins, an AFP and former Al Jazeera reporter, has repeatedly asked authorities to identify “who pulled the trigger,” to disclose the military orders that led to the attack and to provide evidence of any proper investigation. He and supporters say Israel has not provided satisfactory answers more than two years after the strike.

U.S. lawmakers joined Collins outside the U.S. Capitol. Senators Peter Welch and Chris Van Hollen and Congresswoman Becca Balint (all representing or advocating on behalf of Collins’s home state of Vermont) said they will keep pressing the State Department and other agencies for clarity and accountability.

“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,” Collins told reporters.

Welch said he has sent multiple letters to the State Department — his seventh demanding answers in this case — and accused Israeli authorities of obfuscation. According to Welch, Israel told U.S. officials the strike had been investigated and deemed unintentional but provided no evidence that soldiers were questioned and did not interview key witnesses, including Collins and other survivors. In October, the Israeli army told AFP the case remained “under review,” a statement Welch said appears to contradict claims the probe was complete.

The October 13 strike was widely documented: the reporters were livestreaming, wearing marked press gear and standing near clearly identified vehicles when they were struck. Witnesses and survivors say Israeli drones were observed circling overhead before the journalists were hit by two tank shells 37 seconds apart. The first shell killed Abdallah instantly and gravely injured others; the second struck while rescuers and colleagues were attending the wounded.

Collins described the pattern as part of an escalating tactic. “We thought the fact that we could be seen was a good thing, that it would protect us,” he said. “This is not an incident in the fog of war. It was a war crime carried out in broad daylight and broadcast on live television.”

UN special rapporteur Morris Tidball‑Binz has called the attack “a premeditated, targeted and double‑tapped attack” and a likely violation of international humanitarian law. Rights groups such as the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) have also criticized Israeli investigative efforts as inadequate; CPJ advocacy director Amelia Evans said purported probes often fail to deliver accountability and urged the U.S. to demand full, transparent investigations identifying responsible commanders.

Collins and supporters also criticized successive U.S. administrations for limited public pressure on Israel. Campaigners note that Israel received more than $21 billion in U.S. military aid during the two years of its heavy campaign in Gaza, and they argue that stronger U.S. action is needed to secure credible investigations into attacks on journalists.

Paying tribute to his colleague, Collins said Abdallah’s death had a chilling effect on coverage of the conflict. The fighting later escalated into a wider confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah in September 2024, which devastated many Lebanese border towns. Even after a ceasefire in November 2024, Collins and others say reconstruction has been impeded and near‑daily strikes have continued in parts of Lebanon.

The call from lawmakers and press freedom organizations focuses on three core demands: a transparent, independent investigation that names those responsible; release of any orders or operational records related to the strike; and stronger U.S. engagement to ensure accountability for attacks on journalists.