London - Arab Organization for Human Rights based in United Kingdom (UK) said on Sunday, 29 March 2026 that three Lebanese journalists were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Saturday, while Israel said they were targeting a Hezbollah associate in the car.
"Three journalists were killed on Saturday in an Israeli airstrike that directly targeted their vehicle in the Jezzine area in southern Lebanon, while they were covering field developments. The victims were correspondent Ali Shoeib, reporter Fatima Ftouni, and cameraman Mohammad Ftouni," the organization said.
According to information that the organization gathered, the airstrike was "precise and directly targeted the vehicle, strongly reinforcing the likelihood of deliberate targeting, rather than a military error or collateral damage".
The organization said journalist are entitled to full protection as long as they are not participating in hostilities in accordance to the Geneva Convention.
"This constitutes a direct threat to press freedom and the public’s right to information," the organization said.
Separately, Israel Defence Force (IDF) said Ali Hassan Shaib (Ali Shoeib0 is a member of a Hezbollah's affiliated group and has been pretending as a journalist for the Al-Manar media network.
"Shaib exposed IDF troop positions in southern Lebanon and maintained direct contact with Hezbollah operatives," IDF said.***
