BBC presses Israel over driver's death

Mr Takkoush died during Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon

The BBC is pressing the Israeli army to compensate the family of a driver working for the corporation, who was killed in southern Lebanon two weeks ago.

Abed Takkoush died on 23 May, when the car in which he had been transporting a BBC news crew was hit by an artillery shell during Israel's rapid withdrawal from the area.

The head of BBC Newsgathering, Adrian van Klaveren, has written to Israeli military officials asking them to admit responsibility for Mr Takkoush's death.

The response was disproportionate and reckless

Adrian van Klaveren, BBC Newsgathering

Mr van Klaveren said a BBC investigation had revealed that that an Israeli tank was responsible for firing on Abed Takkoush's car.

He said the army ought to have determined that the occupants of the car were unarmed civilians.

"As you are aware, deliberate targeting of civilians contravenes international law," Mr van Klaveren's letter reads.

"Even if the tank unit was in some doubt about the identity of the occupants, the response was disproportionate and reckless."

A BBC spokesman emphasised that the corporation was not seeking to sue the Israeli army, as was reported earlier.

Investigation urged

But Israel is being asked to conclude its own investigation "with all possible speed".

Jeremy Bowen narrowly escaped death

Immediately after Mr Takkoush's death, the Israeli army said the fatal shell had been fired by the South Lebanon Army - the militia group which supported the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon.

BBC correspondent Jeremy Bowen and cameraman Malek Kenaan, who had been travelling with Mr Takkoush, were not in the car when it was hit, and escaped uninjured.

"We had gone about 100 metres from the car when it was hit," Mr Bowen said. "There was a huge fire."

Mr Takkoush died in the flames.

Abed Takkoush had worked for the US network NBC and for the BBC in Lebanon for 25 years.