Three Lebanese journalists were killed in a targeted Israeli strike in southern Lebanon on Saturday, their employers have said. Ali Shoeib, a reporter for the Hezbollah-affiliated Al Manar TV, was killed in the town of Jezzine alongside reporter Fatima Ftouni and cameraman Mohamed Ftouni from the channel Al Mayadeen. The strike reportedly hit the journalists' car just before noon local time.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed it had killed Shoeib, describing him as a 'terrorist' from Iranian-backed Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force who had 'operated for years under the guise of a journalist.' It claimed he had worked to 'expose the locations of IDF soldiers operating in southern Lebanon and along the border' and had disseminated Hezbollah propaganda materials.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the incident as a 'brazen crime' violating international law, and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam branded it a flagrant violation of the rules that protect journalists in wartime. This incident is the second instance in recent weeks of journalists being attacked amid ongoing conflict.
The situation in Lebanon remains dire, with over 1,100 civilians, including children and paramedics, reported killed since violence escalated, leading to more than a million displacements and worsening humanitarian conditions.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed it had killed Shoeib, describing him as a 'terrorist' from Iranian-backed Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force who had 'operated for years under the guise of a journalist.' It claimed he had worked to 'expose the locations of IDF soldiers operating in southern Lebanon and along the border' and had disseminated Hezbollah propaganda materials.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the incident as a 'brazen crime' violating international law, and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam branded it a flagrant violation of the rules that protect journalists in wartime. This incident is the second instance in recent weeks of journalists being attacked amid ongoing conflict.
The situation in Lebanon remains dire, with over 1,100 civilians, including children and paramedics, reported killed since violence escalated, leading to more than a million displacements and worsening humanitarian conditions.
