An Israeli attack on Saturday resulted in the deaths of three journalists in southern Lebanon, according to their respective networks and a Lebanese military source. Israel has stated that one of those killed was affiliated with Hezbollah.
The deaths occurred as Israel continued operations in southern Lebanon, and Hezbollah announced it had struck Israeli forces entering border villages.
Lebanon’s involvement in the broader regional conflict began after the Iran-backed group launched rockets toward Israel in early March, citing retaliation for the joint US-Israeli killing of Iran’s supreme leader.
Israel has since carried out extensive airstrikes across Lebanon alongside a ground push in the south.
A Lebanese military source reported that a journalist from a Hezbollah-affiliated channel and two others—a reporter and a cameraman from another outlet – were killed in the Jezzine area. Both media organizations later confirmed the deaths of their personnel.
One of the journalists was described as a veteran war correspondent who had documented Israeli military actions in Lebanon for decades.
The Israeli military issued a statement claiming the individual was a member of a Hezbollah intelligence unit and accused him of using journalism as a cover to identify the positions of Israeli forces operating in the region.
‘Blatant crime’
Lebanon’s president condemned the killings, calling them a violation of international norms that protect journalists during wartime. The prime minister echoed the sentiment, describing the targeting of media personnel as a breach of international humanitarian law.
Since earlier hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, a number of journalists have lost their lives in southern Lebanon.
An airstrike on Beirut earlier this month killed a director at one of the affected networks. During the previous war in late 2024, three journalists from the same two outlets were killed in an Israeli attack on their accommodation in southern Lebanon.
In late 2023, a Reuters journalist was killed and several others wounded, including two from AFP, while covering clashes near the Israeli border. An investigation by AFP concluded that Israeli tank shells had been fired from within Israel, a finding supported by other international inquiries.
Strikes on south
Israeli raids on southern Lebanon resumed Saturday, with state media reporting a series of dawn strikes on towns and villages. The city of Nabatiyeh was also hit, with residential and commercial buildings and a fuel station reportedly targeted.
Border areas, particularly Taybeh, also came under attack, with reports of an attempted advance by Israeli forces toward the Litani region.
The Israeli military stated it was continuing to target Hezbollah infrastructure across Lebanon.
Hezbollah, meanwhile, said it had struck Israeli troop positions in a border town where some residents remain despite the fighting.
Israeli forces have been advancing into areas near the southern border, with Israeli officials announcing plans to establish a buffer zone extending north to the Litani River.
