The Rory Peck Trust has condemned the killing of three journalists in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon,
Ali Shoaib, a correspondent for the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar TV, was killed on Saturday alongside reporter Fatima Ftouni and her brother, Mohamad, a freelance photojournalist. The siblings worked for the Lebanese news channel, Al-Mayadeen. In a statement, the channel said the three journalists had been travelling in a vehicle clearly marked “Press” when it was hit by four missiles.
The Israel said it had targeted Shoaib because he was a Hezbollah intelligence operative. However, the Israeli Defence Force did not immediately provide any evidence to support the allegation. Israel has not commented on the deaths of the other two journalists.
The Rory Peck Trust says it is deeply concerned by the escalation of Israel’s war in Lebanon. Its Executive Director, Jonn Williams, fears there is a troubling pattern to the attacks:
“It is the same old story: journalists smeared, allegations of terrorism but no hard evidence. Journalists are civilians. They are protected under international law, and targeting them is a war crime. Since 7 October 2023, Israel has killed more than 200 members of the media in Gaza. It cannot be allowed to do so in Lebanon.”
Lebanese officials have condemned the airstrike as a “blatant crime”. The country’s President, Joseph Aoun, said the attack violated international protections afforded to journalists in conflict. Two days ago another journalist, freelance photographer Hussain Hamood, was killed in an Israeli air strike while he was filming in the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh. He too was working for Al-Manar at the time of his death.