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March 29, 2026 – Lebanon –
Three journalists were killed in southern Lebanon after an Israeli airstrike hit a clearly marked media vehicle near Jezzine, in one of the deadliest attacks on the press in Lebanon in recent months, and a strike that has renewed alarm over the safety of journalists reporting from conflict zones.
The journalists were identified as Ali Shoeib, a longtime correspondent for Al-Manar TV, Fatima Ftouni, a reporter for Al-Mayadeen, and Mohammad Ftouni, a freelance video journalist. According to multiple reports, the three were traveling in a car marked “Press” when it was struck on Saturday while covering developments linked to the escalating conflict along the Israel-Lebanon front. Lebanese media outlets and press freedom groups condemned the attack, saying the journalists were engaged in clearly identifiable media work at the time they were killed.
The Israeli military later said it had specifically targeted Shoeib, alleging he was linked to Hezbollah and accusing him of acting under the cover of journalism, though it did not publicly provide evidence for the claim and did not directly address the deaths of the other two journalists. Hezbollah-affiliated media and Lebanese officials rejected the allegation and described the strike as a direct attack on the press. The circumstances of the strike have intensified concerns about whether journalists in southern Lebanon are being adequately protected under international humanitarian law.
The killings come amid a broader pattern of deadly violence against journalists in Lebanon and across the region since the escalation of hostilities in late 2023. The Committee to Protect Journalists said the attack adds to the growing toll of media workers killed while covering the war and warned of a “disturbing pattern” in attacks affecting journalists in active conflict areas. Rights advocates have repeatedly stressed that journalists are civilians and must not be targeted for carrying out their professional duties.
The deaths of Shoeib, Fatima Ftouni, and Mohammad Ftouni are likely to deepen concerns over impunity and the shrinking protections available to journalists documenting war from the front lines. Their killing is another stark reminder that for many reporters in the region, covering the conflict has become inseparable from the risk of losing their lives.
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