i24 News Reporter Hamdah Salhut on Reporting From the Israel-Lebanon Border — A Potential ‘New Front’ in the War
While the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues to rage on in Gaza, to the north of the region, on the Lebanon-Israel Border, missiles have been exchanged between Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and the Israeli army. A reporter on the ground there spoke to Mediaite about a potential new front in the war.
“At any given moment, the northern border could turn into a new front in this war,” i24NEWS reporter Hamdah Salhut told Mediaite on Thursday.
Salhut is currently stationed on the Lebanon- Israel border, traveling between the Israeli town of Shlomi and the city of Nahariya with her crew. She’s been reporting there since the start of the war.
Salhut said the border is now a dangerous region given the military might of Hezbollah.
“Hezbollah’s weapons capabilities are far more advanced and sophisticated than what we see coming out of Gaza. We are talking about hundreds of thousands of missiles that are incredibly destructive,” Salhut said. “But we, as journalists, have an obligation to be at the nearest point we can to bring viewers live images of the story. To show the facts on the ground as they happen, in real time.”
Amid heightened fears, Israel this week evacuated 28 communities near the border with Lebanon.
“We’ve been seeing an increase of rocket fire from the Lebanese side, and a large number of retaliatory artillery strikes from the Israeli side,” she said. “The exchange of fire has been daily, but it’s been heating up in the last 24 hours.”
On October 15, Salhut reported on the Iran Foreign Minister declaring that if Israel begins a ground operation in Gaza, Hezbollah will get involved.
“The Israeli military is on high alert, as this conflict is now shifting to a multi-front war,” she said.
In order to cover the unfolding events, Salhut said she and her crew are “constantly moving, constantly relocating as the incoming fire gets closer.” Finding cover isn’t always easy. “At any given moment, you have to run and seek shelter. But oftentimes, there is nowhere to go, and the only alternative is to lay flat on the ground.”
Salhut and her crew are equipped with protective gear given the circumstances – they have helmets, flak jackets and safety procedures in place in the event of incoming fire.
Salhut warned the situation is dire.
“This is a pivotal time in history, for everyone in the Middle East and the western world,” she said. “Regional stability will shift depending on this outcome. All eyes are on Israel and Gaza, so how we tell this story will matter for generations to come.”
