Three Lebanese journalists were killed on Saturday after an Israeli air strike hit their clearly marked press vehicle in southern Lebanon. Several other journalists were injured, and one paramedic also lost his life during the attack.
The deceased include Fatima Ftouni and her brother, Mohammed Ftouni, both of Al Mayadeen, and Ali Shuaib of Al-Manar. The journalists were travelling along the Jezzine Road when, according to Al Mayadeen, four precision missiles struck their vehicle.
Paramedics who arrived to assist the victims were reportedly targeted as well, resulting in the death of one. Both Al Mayadeen and Al-Manar confirmed the deaths of their reporters.
The Israeli military acknowledged carrying out the strike, claiming Shuaib was embedded with a Hezbollah intelligence unit and was allegedly tracking Israeli troop positions in southern Lebanon. Israel also accused him of distributing Hezbollah propaganda.
Al-Manar, however, described Shuaib as one of its most prominent war correspondents who had extensively covered Israeli attacks on Lebanon over the decades. Both networks rejected Israel’s characterisation.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the attack, saying Israel had once again violated “the most basic rules of international law” by targeting journalists performing their professional duties. Citing the 1949 Geneva Conventions and UN Security Council Resolution 1738, he described the strike as “a blatant crime that violates all norms and treaties granting journalists international protection during armed conflicts.”
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam also decried the incident, calling it “a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.”
Israel has previously faced international criticism for its targeting of journalists, having killed over 270 reporters in Gaza in past conflicts.
