Three Lebanese journalists killed in Israeli strike, say broadcasters

Three Lebanese journalists were killed on Saturday in southern Lebanon in a targeted Israeli strike, according to their employers. Ali Shoeib, a reporter for Al Manar TV, Fatima Ftouni and Mohamed Ftouni, both from Al Mayadeen, were killed in the town of Jezzine. The strike reportedly hit the journalists' car just before noon local time (10:00 GMT).

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed it had killed Ali 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". The IDF said he had worked to "expose the locations of IDF soldiers operating in southern Lebanon and along the border" and had used his position "to disseminate Hezbollah propaganda materials". Hezbollah denounced the strike as the "deliberate criminal targeting of journalists". Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called the strike a "brazen crime" that broke the "most basic rules" of international law. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the attack, branding it a "flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and a clear breach of the rules that guarantee the protection of journalists in times of war".

The Committee to Protect Journalists said Lebanon had become "an increasingly deadly zone for journalists". The organization's regional director Sara Qudah said, "We have seen a disturbing pattern in this war and in the decades prior of Israel accusing journalists of being active combatants and terrorists without providing credible evidence," and that "Journalists are not legitimate targets, regardless of the outlet they work for." More than 1,100 civilians, including 120 children and 42 paramedics, have been killed in Lebanon during the conflict so far, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.