An Israeli strike killed three journalists Saturday in southern Lebanon, their employers and a Lebanese military source said, while Israel alleged one of them was a member of Hezbollah.

The incident came as Israel intensified strikes in southern Lebanon and Hezbollah said it had targeted Israeli forces operating in border villages.

Lebanon was drawn into the broader Middle East conflict when the Iran-backed Hezbollah group launched rockets at Israel on March 2, saying it was retaliating for the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Israel has since carried out extensive airstrikes across Lebanon and launched a ground offensive in the south.

A Lebanese military source said Ali Shoeib of Al Manar and Fatima Ftouni of Al Mayadeen were killed in the Jezzine area, along with Ftouni’s brother, a cameraman.

Both Al Manar and Al Mayadeen confirmed the deaths of their journalists.

Shoeib was a prominent war correspondent who had covered Israeli operations in Lebanon for decades.

In a statement, the Israeli military said it had targeted Shoeib, alleging he was affiliated with Hezbollah’s Radwan Force.

It said he operated under the cover of journalism while gathering intelligence on Israeli troop positions in southern Lebanon and along the border.

Condemnation and prior incidents

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the killings, calling them a “blatant crime” that violates international protections for journalists in conflict zones.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the targeting of journalists constituted a “flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.”

Several journalists have been killed in southern Lebanon since hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah escalated in 2023.

Earlier this month, an airstrike in Beirut killed Mohammad Sherri, a senior figure at Al Manar.

In October 2024, three journalists — including staff from Al Manar and Al Mayadeen — were killed in an Israeli strike on their accommodation in southern Lebanon.

Al Mayadeen correspondent Farah Omar, cameraman Rabih Maamari, and fixer Hussein Aqil were also killed while reporting in the south in November 2023.

In October 2023, Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah was killed, and six others were wounded, including AFP journalists Dylan Collins and Christina Assi, while covering clashes near the Israeli border.

An AFP investigation found that two Israeli tank shells were fired from inside Israel in that incident, a conclusion supported by other international organizations.

Renewed strikes

Israel launched a fresh wave of strikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday.

Lebanon’s National News Agency reported multiple raids at dawn targeting towns and villages across the south.

Strikes also hit the city of Nabatiyeh, damaging residential and commercial buildings and a fuel station, the agency said.

Additional attacks were reported on border areas, including Taybeh, along with what the agency described as an attempted advance by Israeli forces toward the Litani River.

The Israeli military said it continued to strike Hezbollah infrastructure across Lebanon.

Hezbollah said it had targeted Israeli troop concentrations in Debel, a predominantly Christian border town where some residents have remained despite the fighting.

Israeli officials have said they aim to establish a buffer zone extending to the Litani River, about 30 kilometers north of the border.