Three Lebanese journalists killed in Israeli strike, employers say

Three Lebanese journalists were killed in a targeted Israeli strike in southern Lebanon on Saturday, their employers have said. Ali Shoeib, a reporter for Hezbollah-affiliated Al Manar TV, and reporter Fatima Ftouni and her brother, cameraman Mohamed Ftouni, both from Al Mayadeen channel, were killed in the town of Jezzine, according to the stations. The strike reportedly hit their car just before noon (10:00 GMT). The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed it killed Shoeib and Mohamed Ftouni, describing them as "terrorists" from Hezbollah's military wing. It said they both operated "under the guise" of journalists. It also said it was aware of reports a female journalist was killed. The IDF said Shoeib had worked to "expose the locations of IDF soldiers operating in southern Lebanon and along the border", including during the current fighting, and had used his position "to disseminate Hezbollah propaganda materials". The IDF provided no evidence to support its claim that Shoeib, whom it said belonged to Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force, and Mohamed Ftouni had military roles. It said the IDF "directs its strikes to target terrorists, and not journalists, and is operating to mitigate h