British journalist Steve Sweeney has claimed Israel ‘tried to kill him’ in a targeted airstrike that left him and his cameraman with minor injuries.

The Russia Today correspondent was reporting near a local military base in southern Lebanon when a missile struck the ground just metres behind him.

Footage of the incident, which was captured by cameraman Ali Rida, shows Sweeney presenting a piece to camera before he ducks down as a missile smashes into the ground behind him.

The moment Israel targeted British journalist Steve Sweeney in southern Lebanon.pic.twitter.com/sbxhDAK5fI

— Lowkey (@Lowkey0nline) March 19, 2026

Sweeney and Rida are knocked to the floor by the force of the blast, with both men lightly wounded following the incident.

Posting on social media hours after the strike, Sweeney accused Israel of trying to kill him in a ‘deliberate’ attack and claimed the country of a committing war crimes by ‘targeting’ journalists.

‘This was a deliberate targeted attack against journalists, no doubt about it,’ the reporter said. ‘But if they think they are going to silence us, if they think we are going to stay out of the field, they are very very much mistaken.

Sweeney also revealed the strike left a piece of shrapnel ‘deeply embedded’ in his arm which had to be removed in hospital.

The strike came hours after the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) warned they would be striking bridges over the Litani River to eliminate ‘Hezbollah movements under civilian cover’.

Targeting clearly identified members of the press is a war crime under international humanitarian law.

Responding to the footage, the IDF said it had published warnings ‘to ensure that civilians distance themselves from the crossings, in order to reduce civilian harm’.

It added that an ‘explicit warning’ had been issued in the area Sweeney was filming and claimed the crossing was struck after ‘sufficient time had passed since the warnings were issued.

Israel has struck multiple bridges over the Litani River, which divides the south in two, this week.

Today I$rael tried to kill me in a targeted airstrike in southern Lebanon as I was reporting on was the targeting of bridges and the forced displacement of 1 million people, an ethnic cleansing operation on a larger scale than the Nakba

I have absolutely no doubt that this was… pic.twitter.com/5igboFLvH8

— Steve Sweeney (@SweeneySteve) March 19, 2026

Read More: British journalist Steve Sweeney claims Israel was ‘trying to kill him’ in targeted airstrike to ‘silence him’