Israel killed three journalists — Ali Choeib, Fatima Ftouni and Mohammad Ftouni — in an airstrike targeting a media vehicle in southern Lebanon earlier today, according to multiple media reports. They were covering Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
Choeib was associated with Al-Manar TV, and Fatima was with Al Mayadeen News.
President of Lebanon Joseph Aoun condemned Israel’s targeting of journalists Ali Choeib, Fatima Ftouni and Mohammad Ftouni earlier today on the Jezzine road.
“Once again, Israeli aggression violates the most basic rules of international law, international humanitarian law, and the laws of war by targeting journalists, who are ultimately civilians performing their professional duty,” he said.
“This is a blatant crime that violates all norms and treaties under which journalists are granted international protection in times of war, notably the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their protocols. In particular, it breaches Article 79 of Additional Protocol I (1977) and United Nations Security Council Resolution 1738 (2006), which prohibit the targeting of journalists and media personnel, as long as they are not directly participating in hostilities”, he said.
“While we strongly condemn this attack, we call on all international bodies to act to stop what is happening on our land. We also reiterate our condolences to the families of the martyrs and to the journalistic and media community in Lebanon,” he added.
One of Fatima Ftouni’s final posts shared on X – March 28, 2026
Some fellow journalists and media organizations are condemning the brutal attack on journalists in Lebanon. RT journalist Steve Sweeney paid tribute to fellow journalists killed in the Israeli strike, saying, “Fatima called a microphone her weapon — because it’s the truth that Israelis are afraid of,” and remembering Ali as “a friend and mentor to many journalists,” while noting that he himself was wounded in an Israeli strike just last week.