Israeli Airstrike in Southern Lebanon Kills Three Journalists Covering the War
3 reporters killed in Jezzine strike; Lebanon condemns ‘flagrant crime’ as Israel says it targeted Hezbollah operative
BEIRUT — March 29, 2026 — An Israeli airstrike on southern Lebanon on Saturday, March 28, killed three journalists who were covering the ongoing Israel-Hezbollah war, their television stations confirmed, drawing sharp condemnation from Lebanese officials who called the attack a violation of international laws protecting media professionals.
The strike occurred in the southern district of Jezzine, approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Beirut, and targeted a vehicle carrying the journalists shortly before noon local time, according to reports from the scene .
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Victims Identified
Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV said its longtime correspondent Ali Shoeib was killed in the strike. A well-known Lebanese war correspondent, Shoeib had covered southern Lebanon for Al-Manar for nearly three decades and was widely regarded as one of the network’s most prominent journalists .
Beirut-based pan-Arab Al-Mayadeen TV reported that its reporter Fatima Ftouni was killed in the same airstrike along with her brother Mohammed Ftouni, a video journalist. According to the network, Fatima Ftouni had just been on air with a live report from southern Lebanon moments before the strike .
The three deaths bring the number of journalists and media workers killed in Lebanon since the current conflict began on March 2 to at least five. Earlier this week, freelance photojournalist Hussain Hamood, who collaborated with Al-Manar, was killed Wednesday in the southern city of Nabatiyeh, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists . Days earlier, an Israeli airstrike on an apartment in central Beirut killed Mohammed Sherri, the head of political programs at Al-Manar TV, along with his wife .
Israeli Military Statement
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed it had targeted Shoeib, describing him as a “terrorist” from Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force who had “operated for years under the guise of a journalist” . The military accused Shoeib of “operating systematically to expose the locations of (Israeli) soldiers operating in southern Lebanon” and of maintaining contact with Hezbollah militants and inciting against Israeli troops and civilians, without providing evidence to support these claims .
The IDF statement did not mention Fatima Ftouni or Mohammed Ftouni, nor did it address the circumstances of their deaths .
Hezbollah denied the Israeli allegations against Shoeib. “The enemy’s false claims are nothing but an expression of its weakness and fragility, and a desperate attempt to evade responsibility for this crime,” the group said in a statement .
Al-Manar TV did not directly respond to the Israeli allegations but described its correspondent as “distinguished by his professional and credible reporting of events” .
Lebanese Government Condemnation
Top Lebanese officials condemned the strike in strong terms. President Joseph Aoun called it a “flagrant crime that violates all laws and agreements that protect journalists” . In a separate statement on X, he described the journalists as “civilians doing their professional duty” and said the attack was “a brazen crime that violates all treaties and norms through which journalists enjoy international protection in war” .
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam likewise 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” .
Broader Context: Media Under Fire
The strike on the journalists follows a pattern of Israeli attacks on media infrastructure in Lebanon since the current conflict began. Since March 2, Israel’s air force has struck Hezbollah-affiliated civilian targets, including the headquarters of Al-Manar TV and the group’s Al-Nour radio station .
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Israel’s justification for targeting Shoeib mirrored past Israeli military allegations against Palestinian journalists killed during the war in Gaza, where Israel accused journalists of being Hamas militants posing as reporters — claims that press freedom organizations have consistently challenged .
Escalating Toll in Lebanon
The broader conflict has exacted a devastating toll on Lebanon. According to the Health Ministry in Beirut, 47 people were killed and 112 wounded over the past 24 hours alone, bringing the total number of deaths since March 2 to 1,189 .
Lebanon’s Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine said nine paramedics were killed in Israeli strikes on Saturday, raising the death toll among healthcare workers to 51 since the conflict began .
Hezbollah launched approximately 250 projectiles from Lebanon in the past 24 hours, according to an Israeli military official who spoke on condition of anonymity. The official said most of the projectiles were aimed at Israeli soldiers operating in southern Lebanon, with only 23 crossing into Israeli territory .
International Press Freedom Concerns
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has documented multiple journalist casualties across the Middle East since the wider Iran war began on February 28. At least three other reporters across the region have been killed in airstrikes since late last month, the CPJ said on Thursday .
The targeting of journalists in Lebanon has raised concerns among press freedom advocates about the protection of media professionals covering armed conflicts, particularly given that journalists are considered civilians entitled to protection under international humanitarian law unless they are directly participating in hostilities.
Current Situation
As of Sunday, March 29, the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah continues with no signs of de-escalation. The war, which began when Hezbollah launched rockets into northern Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s supreme leader in joint US-Israeli strikes on February 28, has displaced more than one million people in Lebanon and caused widespread destruction across the country’s south and the southern suburbs of Beirut .
The Lebanese government has called for international investigation into the killing of the journalists, while press freedom organizations have urged all parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian law and protect media professionals operating in the region.
SOURCES / INPUTS
AP News: Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon kills 3 journalists covering the war
BBC: Three Lebanese journalists killed in Israeli strike, say broadcasters
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