Israeli Airstrike in Southern Lebanon Kills Three Journalists

An Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon on Saturday resulted in the deaths of three journalists amid ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. The victims included Ali Shoeib, a veteran correspondent for Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar TV, and siblings Fatima and Mohammad Ftouni, a reporter and video journalist respectively for Al-Mayadeen TV.

The Israeli military alleged that Shoeib was a Hezbollah intelligence operative exposing Israeli troop locations and inciting attacks, though no evidence was provided to support this claim. Lebanese officials, including President Joseph Aoun, condemned the airstrike as a crime against journalists.

The deaths increase this year's toll of media workers killed in Lebanon to five. The airstrike follows a deadly Israeli attack days prior on an apartment in Beirut that killed a senior Al-Manar political programmer.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah launched approximately 250 projectiles over 24 hours, targeting Israeli forces, though few crossed into Israeli territory. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported 47 deaths and 112 wounded in the past day, raising the war’s death toll since March 2 to 1,189. Nine paramedics were among the dead, bringing total healthcare worker fatalities to 51. Israel reported nine soldiers injured in two southern Lebanon attacks.