
Middle East correspondent. Formerly @WashingtonPost. Previous life @airwars. Focus: military accountability, data, civilian harm | Signal: abbiecheeseman.58
🏴 in Beirut
Joined March 2011
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The Civilian Casualty Files has won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting. I am so honoured to have spent 9 months working on it under the indomitable @AzmatZahra, alongside @lilahass @jefftparrott @Hibamyazbek et al. Congrats to all @nytimes!nytimes.com/interactive/2021…
Abbie Cheeseman retweeted
"Allegedly assaulted."
It's literally on video.
The Prime Minister’s Office:
The facts surrounding the confrontation near Abu Falah, during which Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine was allegedly assaulted, remain unclear and are under investigation.
Israel unequivocally condemns violence against anyone—Jews, Arabs, Christians or journalists. Those responsible will be held accountable.
But serious questions remain. Reports indicate some 200 Arabs and far-left activists confronted approximately 40 Israeli youths. Footage shows masked individuals on both sides hurling objects, amid reports of fireworks fired at Jewish youths. Other footage appears to show Levine knocked down and immediately helped to her feet by the same unidentified individual.
The investigation must establish the facts, including who initiated the violence.
We will not allow disputed incidents to be exploited to demonize the hundreds of thousands of law-abiding Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria.
The facts must determine the conclusions. Not the headlines.
Abbie Cheeseman retweeted
.@Heidiphotos has been covering this conflict for decades with compassion and courage. She represents the best in fearless journalism.
Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine was hospitalized after settlers brutally beat and robbed her while she covered the West Bank olive harvest. The attack drew condemnation from the U.S. Embassy, press freedom groups and Israel's journalists' union. Levine described a growing climate of fear among Palestinian harvesters, while rights groups warned that repeated attacks on journalists continue amid a lack of accountability. | Liza Rozovsky, Matan Golan, and Etan Nechin
Footage used courtesy of @infinite_jaz
Abbie Cheeseman retweeted
While clearly wearing a flak jacket with "PRESS" in big letters, Heidi Levine (@Heidiphotos) was beaten and had all her photo equipment stolen by Israeli settlers. Not "knocked down and immediately helped to her feet" ... as per this statement.
The Prime Minister’s Office:
The facts surrounding the confrontation near Abu Falah, during which Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine was allegedly assaulted, remain unclear and are under investigation.
Israel unequivocally condemns violence against anyone—Jews, Arabs, Christians or journalists. Those responsible will be held accountable.
But serious questions remain. Reports indicate some 200 Arabs and far-left activists confronted approximately 40 Israeli youths. Footage shows masked individuals on both sides hurling objects, amid reports of fireworks fired at Jewish youths. Other footage appears to show Levine knocked down and immediately helped to her feet by the same unidentified individual.
The investigation must establish the facts, including who initiated the violence.
We will not allow disputed incidents to be exploited to demonize the hundreds of thousands of law-abiding Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria.
The facts must determine the conclusions. Not the headlines.
Abbie Cheeseman retweeted
Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine was brutally attacked by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank today. Heidi is the best of the best – a badass American war photographer I've had the pleasure of working with many times in the West Bank. These settlers, and the IDF soldiers who stood by and did nothing as they beat Heidi, must be held accountable.
washingtonpost.com/world/202…
Abbie Cheeseman retweeted
Thinking of @DanEggenDC, whose byline was on our 9/12 front page, today. We miss him every day: washingtonpost.com/national-…
Alongside this from the Israeli military, videos quickly coming in of huge balls of fire engulfing the sky over the Ali al Taher ridge as massive explosions rocked the area and were reportedly felt for miles. Israeli media report over 1,100 tons of explosives used
Abbie Cheeseman retweeted
“I’m less concerned about having to prove to people that something is synthetic. What I’m more concerned about is how we prove to people that something is real,” Imogen Piper, a visual-forensics reporter for the Washington Post, told us.
cjr.org/feature/the-future-o…
Abbie Cheeseman retweeted
NEW: An explosion that ripped through a wedding celebration in southern Iran on Tuesday, killing four people (including 2 minors) and injuring at least 68 others, likely resulted from a direct hit by a U.S. munition and not a ricochet off another target, according to an analysis by weapons experts who reviewed images and video verified by Reuters.
I spoke with 4 munitions analysts who agreed that the strike on the wedding gathering was a direct hit. Three experts said it was unlikely that a misfired Iranian missile had destroyed the home. Thank you to @Easybakeovensz, @bastischutte & Gareth Collett for your insights.
I also spoke with @haalvsh and @balochistanhrdn to confirm local accounts of what happened the evening of September 1. Many thanks to my hamvatans who spoke with us, despite the continued systematic state intimidation on people speaking with media.
Great team effort with Edward Carron, @idreesali114, Emily Giles, all of @ReutersWitness & @SarahCahlan
reuters.com/investigations/d…
An @airwars analysis of damage from the apparent first U.S. use of a PrSM "precision strike missile" in Iran finds that the deadly pellets, which are strewn in a 360-degree direction upon explosion, can reach a radius as far as 170m.
airwars.org/prsm-lamerd-iran
Abbie Cheeseman retweeted
The International desk of the @washingtonpost was one of the most special places in journalism. It was sadly dismantled but I’m so proud of all my colleagues there and where they are all going. The @nytimes is so lucky to have @emilyrauhala
nytco.com/press/emily-rauhal…
Abbie Cheeseman retweeted
After another, quieter, week of layoffs impacting local staff, the Washington Post has now laid off all of its reporters who have covered Gaza full time since 2023.
This is a choice about what coverage and whose voices matter.
Abbie Cheeseman retweeted
British foreign correspondents could be at risk of prosecution if they use sources within state-backed groups in countries such as Iran under national security legislation being rushed through parliament this week.
David Anderson, a former UK independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, has warned that unless the bill is amended it could accidentally pull journalists working in danger-zone countries into prosecutions for terrorism.
Details here 👇
theguardian.com/uk-news/2026…
Working for WaPo’s Middle East team was an honour. But I made the heartwrenching decision to leave the paper last month.
I’m still in Lebanon and open for new opportunities. If your newsroom is looking for narrative-driven accountability reporting (or other things!) do reach out
Abbie Cheeseman retweeted
My only interaction with Amal Khalil came in 2009, when she was so generous to me as I reported a magazine article on a financial scandal rocking Hezbollah and the south—a story critical of the party that she guided me on, she said, because it was more important I got it right.
Read this detailed account from @ZeinakhodrAljaz of the sequence of events leading to the killing of Leb journalist Amal Khalil. Her editors; Leb Pres; Red Cross, were all informed and appealed for help. The Israeli military bombed her shelter anyway then prevented her rescue for hours, attacking the ambulance crews. Targeting journalists and first responders is a heinous breach of int law - no matter their affiliation, no matter it was inside Israeli-occupied land. Leb PM is demanding accountability and calls her killing a ‘blatant war crime’
Abbie Cheeseman retweeted
The car the journalists were driving behind was hit by an Israeli drone at 2:45 pm killing 2 men inside; Zeinab, Amal took shelter in nearby house; At 2:50pm Amal called her editors, family; President Aoun called on Red Cross, army to rescue them; 4:27pm Israel bombed house
#Lebanon PM Nawaf Salam condemned the killing of journalist Amal Khalil, calling her targeting, the blocking of rescuers “blatant war crime,” says Lebanon will pursue legal accountability.
Abbie Cheeseman retweeted
Dan Eggen was a reporter’s editor — smart, indefatigable and fearless. He made your prose pop and was proud for you to shine. And he made sure you had fun. His passing is gutting, for his family and all who were lucky enough to work with him. washingtonpost.com/obituarie…
Abbie Cheeseman retweeted
The paramedic pictured here, Mohammed Suleiman, lost his teenage son Joud, also a paramedic, in an Israeli strike on paramedics in Nabtieh just a few weeks back.
Now he mourns more colleagues killed in Israeli attacks on health workers.
Abbie Cheeseman retweeted
So if you're keeping score at home, the ceasefire includes Lebanon but also doesn't include Lebanon, America has agreed to all of Iran's demands and Iran has agreed to all of America's demands, America will recognize Iran's right to enrichment and also insist on zero enrichment, Hormuz is completely open but also Hormuz is subject to unclear limitations...
There are a lot of confident predictions about a deal that is still unclear and unfinished
Both sides are scrambling to portray this as a war-ending victory when there's a decent chance that the war hasn't even ended
Abbie Cheeseman retweeted
The Israeli strikes on the capital Beirut overnight killed 5 and wounded more than 20 (MOPH) One hit was 300 metres away from a main hospital and in a crowded residential area. IDF says it was targeting a snr Hezbollah commander. Hezb has confirmed one commander killed
Abbie Cheeseman retweeted
New front opened in Israel’s offensive … for the first time roads targeted in west Bekaa … they link towns where Hezbollah has strong presence … Yuhmor, Suhmor and Libbaya …attempt to isolate them from each other … #Lebanon ...























