Three journalists covering the war between Israel and Hezbollah were killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon. The strike occurred on Saturday in the Jezzine area. This is reported by AP, writes UNN.
Details
Among the dead is Ali Shoaib, a well-known correspondent for Al-Manar TV channel, who had been covering events in southern Lebanon for almost 30 years.
Also killed were Al-Mayadeen TV channel journalist Fatima Ftouni and her brother Mohammed Ftouni, who worked as a video journalist. According to the TV channel, Fatima went live literally shortly before the strike.
What the parties said
The Israeli army confirmed the attack on Ali Shoaib and stated that he allegedly cooperated with Hezbollah intelligence and assisted the group. No evidence of these accusations has been publicly provided.
The Israeli military statement claims that Shoaib "systematically acted to expose the locations" of Israeli soldiers and maintained contact with militants.
Al-Manar TV channel rejected such rhetoric and stated that its correspondent was known for "professional and reliable coverage of events." Israel did not comment on the other two deceased journalists in its official statement.
Lebanon's reaction
In Lebanon, the strike has already caused a sharp reaction at the highest level. President Joseph Aoun called the attack "a blatant crime that violates all laws and agreements protecting journalists."
Against this background, the attack on media workers only reinforces accusations against Israel of deliberately targeting press representatives during the war.
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