TEHRAN- The Iranian Foreign Ministry has criticized an Israeli strike on a truck carrying journalists in southern Lebanon, which resulted in the murder of one of them.

Nasser Kanaani voiced the denunciation on Friday hours after the Israeli artillery bombardment on the truck in the Lebanese village of Alma al-Shaab.

The official offered condolences and compassion to the survivors as well as the media community worldwide.

A Reuters video journalist was killed and six other journalists injured in southern Lebanon on Friday when missiles fired from the direction of Israel struck them, according to a Reuters videographer who was at the scene.

The group of journalists, including from Al Jazeera and Agence France-Presse, were working near Alma al-Shaab, close to the Israel border, where the Israeli military and Lebanese militia Hezbollah have been trading fire in border clashes.

Reuters said in a statement that Issam Abdallah had been killed while providing a live video signal for broadcasters. The camera was pointed at a hillside when a loud explosion shook the camera, filling the air with smoke, and screams were heard.

"We are deeply saddened to learn that our videographer, Issam Abdallah, has been killed," Reuters said.

"We are urgently seeking more information, working with authorities in the region, and supporting Issam’s family and colleagues."

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and a Hezbollah lawmaker blamed the incident on Israel.

This is not the first time the Israeli regime has targeted Lebanese territory since it commenced its current extensive lethal bombardment against Gaza on October 7.

On Tuesday, the Lebanese resistance group Hezbollah announced it had attacked two Israeli military stations in the occupied territories in reaction to the regime’s previous onslaught against South Lebanon, which had killed three of the group’s fighters. 

Last year, veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was shot and killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank.

The 51-year-old was covering an Israeli army raid on the Jenin refugee camp when she was shot in the face by a single bullet, despite wearing a press vest, Al Jazeera reported.

Another Palestinian journalist, Ali al-Samoudi, was wounded in the back but is in stable condition.

In a statement, Al Jazeera said Abu Akleh was “assassinated in cold blood” and called on the international community to hold Israeli forces responsible.

Eyewitness and fellow journalist Shatha Hanaysha says journalists in the scene were pinned down by snipers when Abu Akleh was shot.

She told Al Jazeera: “We stood together in a collective way as journalists, then we started moving. We were shocked by the live ammunition fired at us, we reached an area that did not allow us to withdraw.”

“We were just facing the snipers. If they were not really willing to kill some of us, they could have started shooting before our arrival in this narrow area. I see this as a clear assassination of journalists,” she said.

“The one that killed Shireen was intended to kill her because he shot the bullet at an area of her body that was not protected,” Hanaysha also said.

Palestinian MP Khalida Jarrar said that Abu Akleh was the voice of Palestinians and was killed by “the monstrosity of Israeli colonialism and occupation”.

“Shireen was always my voice from the prison cells,” she said, adding that a month into her last detention by Israel, Shireen was the first person she saw at her court hearings.

“Shireen was our voice. It is unbelievable. It is a crime; it is all clear – intentional and direct targeting. She was targeted. It’s clear.”