An Israeli airstrike on a clearly marked press vehicle in southern Lebanon on Saturday killed three journalists, while a separate wave of attacks on healthcare workers left nine paramedics dead, according to Lebanese officials and the World Health Organization (WHO).
The strike targeted a vehicle bearing visible “Press” insignia on the Jezzine Road, killing Fatima Ftouni and her brother, Mohammed, both reporters for the Al Mayadeen network, along with Ali Shuaib, a correspondent for Al-Manar. Al Mayadeen reported that the vehicle was hit by four precision missiles.
Several other journalists were wounded in the attack. In a parallel escalation, ambulances were also reportedly targeted, resulting in the deaths of multiple paramedics. The WHO confirmed that in total, eight paramedics were killed and seven others wounded on Saturday across five separate attacks on healthcare personnel and infrastructure in southern Lebanon.
Israel’s Claim and Network Rebuttal
The Israeli military acknowledged carrying out the strike that killed the journalists, asserting that Ali Shuaib was a member of a Hezbollah intelligence unit and had been tracking Israeli troop positions in southern Lebanon. It also alleged he was involved in distributing militant propaganda.
Al-Manar, a Lebanon-based broadcaster affiliated with Hezbollah, described Shuaib as one of its most seasoned war correspondents, who had covered Israeli military operations in Lebanon for decades. Neither Al-Manar nor Al Mayadeen accepted Israel’s characterization of the slain journalists.
Israel has frequently accused journalists it targets in the region of having ties to militant groups, often without providing publicly available evidence. Since the start of the war in Gaza, Israeli strikes have killed more than 270 journalists, according to media freedom organizations, making it one of the deadliest conflicts for journalists in recent history.
Escalating Toll on Civilians and Medical Workers
Saturday’s deaths mark one of the single deadliest days for both media and medical personnel since cross-border hostilities intensified between Israel and Hezbollah. The attacks come amid an expanding Israeli military campaign in southern Lebanon, where ground incursions and airstrikes have increasingly targeted what Israel describes as Hezbollah assets.
The WHO condemned the strikes on healthcare workers, calling them a violation of international humanitarian law. “Attacks on health care are never acceptable,” the organization said in a statement, noting that the paramedics were killed while attempting to provide emergency services in active conflict zones.
As the war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah intensifies, civilian infrastructure including marked press vehicles and ambulances has increasingly come under fire, raising concerns among human rights groups about adherence to international laws protecting non-combatants.
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