Israeli strike kills 3 journalists in Lebanon—IDF calls one ‘terrorist in disguise’

Ali Shoeib, a reporter for Hezbollah-affiliated Al Manar TV, was killed in the town of Jezzine along with reporter Fatima Ftouni and her brother, cameraman Mohamed Ftouni, both of Al Mayadeen, the BBC reported, citing their employers.

Reports said the strike targeted the vehicle in which they were travelling.

IDF identifies one victim

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) identified Ali Hassan Shaib and alleged that he was a member of Hezbollah’s Radwan Force operating under the guise of a journalist.

“ELIMINATED: For years, Ali Hassan Shaib operated as a Hezbollah Radwan Force terrorist under the guise of a journalist for the Al-Manar network,” the IDF said in a post on X.

The military further alleged that Shaib had exposed Israeli troop positions in southern Lebanon and maintained direct contact with Hezbollah operatives.

In a separate statement on X, IDF International Spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said Shaib was officially recruited into Hezbollah’s military wing in 2020, but had been cooperating with the group since 2013.

“His role in the intelligence unit was to film sensitive information and transfer it to the Radwan Force, all under the guise of a journalist,” Shoshani said.

He added that Shaib’s activities in revealing Israeli troop locations posed a direct threat to Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah rejects claims

Hezbollah condemned the killings, describing them as a “deliberate criminal targeting of journalists.”

“The enemy’s false claims are nothing but an expression of its weakness and fragility, and a desperate attempt to evade responsibility for this crime,” the group said in a statement on Telegram, as quoted by the BBC."