Killing the witness: journalists and healthcare workers in the crosshairs in southern Lebanon

BeirutThe attack took place in broad daylight on a secondary road in the Jezzine district, southern Lebanon. A moving vehicle, identified as press, received a first impact, and minutes later, a second in the same area. Inside were three journalists: Ali Shuaib, correspondent for Al-Manar; Fatima Ftouni, reporter for Al-Mayadeen; and her brother, cameraman Mohammad Ftouni. All three died instantly, and the images broadcast show the vehicle reduced to rubble on the asphalt, in a section where there were no visible combat at the time.

Shuaib was a veteran correspondent on the southern border, known for closely covering bombings and population displacements. Fatima Ftouni had been working for years in conflict zones, accompanying her brother Mohammad to cover attacks and evacuations. Her colleagues remember her constancy and determination, even in the face of the growing risks of an open war that began on March 2, marked by direct confrontations with Hezbollah, Israeli incursions, and more than a thousand deaths.

The Israeli army claims that Ali Shuaib was part of Hezbollah's elite Radwan forces and operated under journalistic cover, an argument Israel has used in previous operations to justify attacks. It made no mention of the other two occupants of the vehicle. Israel has sustained attacks on targets linked to Hezbollah, including press vehicles, strategic positions and media outlets such as Al-Manar and Al-Nour, as well as civilian evacuation routes, while Hezbollah maintains defensive positions and intermittent fighting in key southern points.

The Jezzine attack adds to other incidents affecting Lebanese media. On March 18, a drone attacked an apartment in Beirut, killing Mohammad Sherri, head of political programs for Al-Manar, along with his wife Amaal Khalil. During 2023 and 2024, Al-Manar and Al-Mayadeen teams had already been hit while covering bombings on the southern border, with direct impacts on press vehicles and attacks on access routes to villages. Freelancers and correspondents have been injured or killed on multiple occasions, reflecting the constant risk of journalistic coverage in the region.

51 paramedics dead

Violence has also reached healthcare workers. According to the Ministry of Health, at least 51 paramedics and healthcare personnel have died since the beginning of the conflict, many of them while intervening after attacks in already bombed areas. Nine of them died yesterday, four of whom belonged to the Islamic Organization for Health and five of whom, to the Islamic Association of Scouts al-Rissala.

Ambulances and rescue teams have been hit on the same routes as journalists, which highlights the high risk faced by those trying to document or assist victims.

The attack has provoked immediate protests in Beirut. At midday, journalists from the south gathered in front of the Ministry of Information, and in the mid-afternoon a second event was held in Martyrs' Square. Among the demonstrators, colleagues of Ftouni and Shuaib recalled the dedication they put into their fieldwork. A local photographer who worked with Shuaib said that Israel had tried to assassinate him before. "He was not a member of the Radwan unit, but rather an experienced journalist with over 35 years of coverage in the south," he assured.

Official condemnations were not long in coming. President Joseph Aoun recalled that journalists are civilians protected by international law and warned about the vulnerability of those who document the war, drawing a parallel with Gaza, where many voices have been silenced during clashes. The Minister of Information described the incident as serious and emphasized the need to protect press teams. The Lebanese Press Editors Syndicate stated that "the assassination of fellow journalists is a crime clearly defined by all standards, reflecting a hostile and eliminationist approach towards Lebanon and the Lebanese."

Since the start of the war, vehicles, homes, and ambulances have been hit, leaving multiple wounded and dead. This reinforces the idea that covering the conflict in southern Lebanon remains extremely dangerous and that attacks against journalists and civilian workers are accumulating in a worrying pattern. Like in Gaza, those covering the war or assisting victims become targets because their presence documents what other actors prefer to silence.