Beirut:Lebanon called the killing of three journalists, whose press-marked car was struck during an Israeli air strike in Jezzine on Saturday, a “flagrant violation of international law”. The three journalists were identified as Al Mayadeen’s Fatima Ftouni, her brother and colleague Mohammed, and Al-Manar’s Ali Shaib.Reports claimed multiple projectiles hit the vehicle. A health worker was also killed in the attack.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) justified the killing of the journalists, accusing Shaib of having “operated within the Hezbollah terrorist organisation under the guise of a journalist”. Shaib was one of Al Manar’s most prominent war correspondents, having covered Israeli attacks on Lebanon for decades.
Hours before her killing, Ftouni had posted on X about the Israeli army being thwarted near Litani river.,
Ftouni’s death comes weeks after her uncle and other family members were killed in an Israeli air strike. Her death renewed concerns over the safety of media persons in Lebanon and other conflict-hit areas. In a statement, Al Mayadeen said Ftouni was in a vehicle clearly labeled “Press” alongside other journalists. The news organisation, which is being accused of sympathetic to the Hezbollah, has lost six journalists since March 2.
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