Among those killed was veteran correspondent Ali Shoeib, a longtime reporter for Al-Manar TV, the television network affiliated with Hezbollah.
The station confirmed that Shoeib died after an Israeli strike targeted an area in southern Lebanon where he had been reporting.
The Israel Defense Forces said the strike was aimed specifically at Shoeib, accusing him of acting as an intelligence operative for Hezbollah. However, the military did not provide evidence to support the allegation.
Meanwhile, Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen TV reported that journalist Fatima Ftouni and her brother Mohammed Ftouni, a video journalist, were killed in the same airstrike.
According to the station, Fatima had just completed a live broadcast from southern Lebanon moments before the strike hit the area. The attack occurred in the southern district of Jezzine, a region that has experienced frequent military activity since the latest round of fighting began.
Officials in Lebanon quickly condemned the attack, describing it as a violation of international protections for journalists.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun denounced the strike as a serious breach of international law.
“This is a flagrant crime that violates all laws and agreements that protect journalists,” Aoun said in a statement.
Al-Manar described Shoeib as a respected war correspondent who had spent nearly three decades reporting from southern Lebanon.
The Israel Defense Forces said the strike was aimed specifically at Shoeib, accusing him of acting as an intelligence operative for Hezbollah. However, the military did not provide evidence to support the allegation.
Meanwhile, Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen TV reported that journalist Fatima Ftouni and her brother Mohammed Ftouni, a video journalist, were killed in the same airstrike.
According to the station, Fatima had just completed a live broadcast from southern Lebanon moments before the strike hit the area. The attack occurred in the southern district of Jezzine, a region that has experienced frequent military activity since the latest round of fighting began.
Officials in Lebanon quickly condemned the attack, describing it as a violation of international protections for journalists.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun denounced the strike as a serious breach of international law.
“This is a flagrant crime that violates all laws and agreements that protect journalists,” Aoun said in a statement.
Al-Manar described Shoeib as a respected war correspondent who had spent nearly three decades reporting from southern Lebanon.
The station praised his commitment to covering developments in the region, particularly during periods of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
The Israeli military defended the operation, claiming that Shoeib had been “operating systematically to expose the locations of Israeli soldiers operating in southern Lebanon.”
Israeli authorities also alleged that the journalist maintained contact with Hezbollah militants and incited attacks against Israeli troops and civilians. However, they did not release further details to support the claims.
Al-Manar did not directly respond to the allegations but emphasised that Shoeib was widely known for his professional reporting.
“He was distinguished by his professional and credible reporting of events,” the station said in a statement.
The Israeli accusations echo similar claims made during previous conflicts, particularly in the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, where Israeli forces have alleged that some journalists were affiliated with militant groups.
However, press freedom organisations have repeatedly raised concerns about the growing number of journalists killed while covering armed conflicts in the region.
The latest strike occurred as the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah continues to escalate following renewed hostilities that erupted earlier this month.
Since fighting resumed on March 2, Israeli airstrikes have targeted several locations in Lebanon, including media facilities associated with Hezbollah. Among the sites struck were the headquarters of Al-Manar TV and the group’s Al-Nour Radio station.
Just days earlier, another Israeli strike in central Beirut killed Mohammed Sherri, the head of political programming at Al-Manar TV, along with his wife.
The deaths on Saturday bring the number of journalists and media workers killed in Lebanon this year to at least five.
The Committee to Protect Journalists confirmed that freelance photojournalist Hussain Hamood, who had collaborated with Al-Manar, was also killed earlier in the week during a strike in the southern city of Nabatiyeh.
Media advocacy groups have warned that the rising death toll among journalists highlights the dangers faced by reporters covering armed conflicts.
They continue to call for investigations into attacks on journalists and for stronger protections to ensure that members of the press can report safely from conflict zones.
The Israeli military defended the operation, claiming that Shoeib had been “operating systematically to expose the locations of Israeli soldiers operating in southern Lebanon.”
Israeli authorities also alleged that the journalist maintained contact with Hezbollah militants and incited attacks against Israeli troops and civilians. However, they did not release further details to support the claims.
Al-Manar did not directly respond to the allegations but emphasised that Shoeib was widely known for his professional reporting.
“He was distinguished by his professional and credible reporting of events,” the station said in a statement.
The Israeli accusations echo similar claims made during previous conflicts, particularly in the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, where Israeli forces have alleged that some journalists were affiliated with militant groups.
However, press freedom organisations have repeatedly raised concerns about the growing number of journalists killed while covering armed conflicts in the region.
The latest strike occurred as the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah continues to escalate following renewed hostilities that erupted earlier this month.
Since fighting resumed on March 2, Israeli airstrikes have targeted several locations in Lebanon, including media facilities associated with Hezbollah. Among the sites struck were the headquarters of Al-Manar TV and the group’s Al-Nour Radio station.
Just days earlier, another Israeli strike in central Beirut killed Mohammed Sherri, the head of political programming at Al-Manar TV, along with his wife.
The deaths on Saturday bring the number of journalists and media workers killed in Lebanon this year to at least five.
The Committee to Protect Journalists confirmed that freelance photojournalist Hussain Hamood, who had collaborated with Al-Manar, was also killed earlier in the week during a strike in the southern city of Nabatiyeh.
Media advocacy groups have warned that the rising death toll among journalists highlights the dangers faced by reporters covering armed conflicts.
They continue to call for investigations into attacks on journalists and for stronger protections to ensure that members of the press can report safely from conflict zones.
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