Israel Says Al-Manar Reporter Ali Shoaib Was Hezbollah Operative After Strike Killed Three Journalists

The Israeli military asserted Ali Shoaib was a Hezbollah intelligence operative, a claim it did not publicly substantiate with evidence.

“Three journalists and nine paramedics were killed in southern Lebanon on Saturday as the US-Israel war on Iran intensified”

Al Jazeera

BBC described Shoaib as a Hezbollah operative allegedly reporting locations of Israeli troops, while the Guardian noted the claim framed him as a Hezbollah agent in an intelligence unit.

Al Jazeera

Al-Jazeera emphasized the journalists were in a clearly marked press vehicle when killed, complicating the narrative around civilian protections.

The CPJ cautioned that Israel has a pattern of labeling journalists as combatants without credible proof, highlighting that journalists are civilians under international law.

The strike hit a clearly marked press vehicle carrying three reporters, killing Ali Shoaib, Fatima Ftouni, and Mohammed Ftouni.

Al Jazeera stated four precision missiles hit the vehicle, while BBC described the strike as hitting the journalists’ car just before noon local time.

Al-Awwal

The journalists were travelling together in Jezzine when the attack occurred, according to Al-Manar and Al-Mayadeen and corroborated by several outlets.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the attack as a flagrant crime that violates international humanitarian law.

Health authorities reported widespread casualties among medical workers, with paramedics killed in multiple strikes as health services deteriorated.

“Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon kills 3 journalists covering the war Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon kills 3 journalists covering the war BEIRUT (AP) — An Israeli airstrike on southern Lebanon on Saturday killed three journalists who were covering the latest Israel-Hezbollah war, their TV stations said”

AP News

The World Health Organization condemned attacks on health sector workers and noted severe disruption to hospitals and clinics.

Lebanese officials reported over 1,100 civilian deaths in the broader conflict, with the toll continuing to mount as humanitarian conditions deteriorate.

Several outlets described the strikes against journalists and medics as a violation of international humanitarian law.

Lebanon’s information minister said the government would file a UN Security Council complaint over the strike.

Lebanese officials condemned the attack as a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and protections for journalists.

BBC

Local, non-Western outlets frame the strike within a pattern of attacks on journalists and health workers in Lebanon during the Iran-focused war, with authorities labeling the event a grave violation.

“- Published Three Lebanese journalists were killed in a targeted Israeli strike in southern Lebanon on Saturday, their employers have said”

BBC

Jarida Zaman al-Turkiyya and Al-Awwal reproduce the Israeli claim that Shoaib was operating within Hezbollah’s ranks, though they also acknowledge the lack of publicly disclosed evidence.

BBC

Oz Arab Media quotes the IDF's assertion that Shoaib was a terrorist, underscoring the contested nature of such accusations without transparent substantiation.

Mont Carlo Internationale and SWI Swissinfo summarize the broader toll and condemnations from international bodies like the WHO, illustrating the cross-regional concern about civilian protections in West Asia.