At least three journalists and nine paramedics were killed on Saturday in southern Lebanon following a series of Israeli airstrikes, in a sharp escalation of the widening regional war tied to the ongoing U.S.-Israel-Iran war.

The dead journalists were identified as Fatima Ftouni and her brother, Mohammed Ftouni, both working with Al Mayadeen, alongside Ali Shuaib of Al-Manar.

They were killed when multiple precision missiles struck a clearly marked press vehicle along Jezzine Road, according to Al Jazeera.

It was reported that the vehicle was hit by four missiles in quick succession, leaving no chance of survival.

Several other journalists sustained injuries in the same attack, while emergency responders who rushed to the scene also came under fire.

In a related development, ambulances and medical teams were also targeted in separate strikes across southern Lebanon, raising alarm among humanitarian organisations and global health authorities.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that the World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed that eight paramedics were killed and seven others wounded in five separate attacks on healthcare operations across the region on Saturday.

Although the Israeli military admitted carrying out the strike that killed the journalists, it claimed that Ali Shuaib had been embedded with a Hezbollah intelligence unit and was allegedly monitoring Israeli troop movements.
It further accused him of disseminating propaganda for the group.

However, his employer, Al-Manar, rejected the allegation, describing Shuaib as one of its most experienced war correspondents who had spent decades covering Israeli military operations in Lebanon.

Neither Al-Manar nor Al Mayadeen accepted Israel’s justification for the attack, insisting that the victims were civilians performing their professional duties.

Israel has repeatedly faced criticism over its targeting of journalists, particularly in Gaza, where over 270 media workers have reportedly been killed.

In many instances, the Israeli government has accused those targeted of links to armed groups but has provided little or no public evidence.
Reacting to Saturday’s killings, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the attack, accusing Israel of violating fundamental principles of international law.
He described the incident as “a blatant crime that violates all norms and treaties under which journalists are granted international protection during armed conflicts.”

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam also criticised the strike, calling it “a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.”

Reporting from the southern city of Tyre, Al Jazeera correspondent Obaida Hitto said journalists on the ground remained defiant despite the risks.
“All the journalists that I’m speaking to here today say that they were just doing their job, and that the journalists that are still here are going to continue to carry out their work despite the obvious dangers,” he said.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, while confirming the deaths of health workers, did not directly attribute responsibility for the attacks but detailed the scale of the casualties.

“In Zoutar al-Sharqiya, five health workers were killed in a strike, and two were injured, one critically.

“Two more health workers were killed and three wounded in Kfar Tibnit; one paramedic died in an attack at a health facility in Ghandouriyeh, while another was killed in a strike in Jezzine. Two were wounded in an attack on Kfar Dajjal,” Ghebreyesus said.
Ghebreyesus warned that the repeated targeting of medical personnel and infrastructure had severely disrupted healthcare services in southern Lebanon.
According to him, at least four hospitals and 51 primary healthcare centres have been forced to shut down, while others are barely functioning.
For Fatima Ftouni, one of the slain journalists, the war had already taken a personal toll.
Earlier in the month, she had reported live on television about an Israeli strike that killed her uncle and his entire family.
Her death brings the number of Al Mayadeen journalists killed since the outbreak of hostilities to six.
Others previously killed include Farah Omar, Rabih Me’mari, Ghassan Najjar, and Mohammad Reda.
Figures released by Lebanon’s Ministry of Health indicate that at least 1,142 people have been killed and over 3,300 injured since March 2, as the conflict continues to expand across the region.
Israeli ground forces have reportedly advanced deeper into southern Lebanon, approaching the Litani River, while Hezbollah claims to have launched dozens of retaliatory operations against Israeli troops within the past 24 hours.
In another incident, an Israeli air raid in the town of Deir al-Zahrani reportedly killed a Lebanese soldier, according to the country’s National News Agency.

Describing the situation on the ground, Al Jazeera’s Hitto said he could still hear explosions as sustained bombardments continued across the South.

He characterised the area south of the Litani River as effectively a “no-go zone,” adding that while many residents had fled following Israeli evacuation orders, an estimated 20 per cent of the population remained.

According to him, those choosing to stay behind were taking what he described as a “very deadly gamble.”

Press freedom organisations say Saturday’s killings are part of a disturbing global trend.
The Committee to Protect Journalists recorded 129 journalist deaths worldwide in 2025, the highest figure in over 30 years, with Israel accounting for nearly two-thirds of those fatalities.

The watchdog group says Israel has now killed more journalists than any other country since it began keeping records.

Earlier this month, another Israeli strike in central Beirut killed Mohammad Sherri, Al-Manar’s political programmes director, further underscoring the growing risks faced by media workers in the region.

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