An Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon on Saturday resulted in the deaths of three journalists, according to their respective TV stations. Those killed were Ali Shoeib, a correspondent for Al-Manar TV, and Fatima Ftouni, a reporter for Al-Mayadeen TV, along with her brother Mohammed, a video journalist. They were reportedly traveling in a car when the strike occurred.
The Israeli military stated that Ali Shoeib was the primary target, alleging he was a Hezbollah intelligence operative. They accused him of exposing Israeli troop locations and inciting against them, claims Al-Manar did not address, describing him as a professional reporter.
Lebanese officials strongly condemned the strike. President Joseph Aoun labeled it a “flagrant crime” violating protections for journalists. The deaths bring the total number of journalists and media workers killed in Lebanon this year to five, including Hussain Hamood and Mohammed Sherri, who died in separate incidents earlier this month.