France's foreign minister said Sunday it would be "extremely serious" if Israel had deliberately targeted three journalists killed the previous day in a strike on south Lebanon.
"If it is indeed confirmed that the journalists in question were deliberately targeted by the Israeli army, then this is extremely serious and a blatant violation of international law," Jean-Noel Barrot told public broadcaster France 3.
He said journalists in war zones "must never be targeted in theatres of war, including when they have links with parties to the conflict".
Ali Shoeib, a veteran correspondent for Hezbollah's Al Manar TV, Fatiman Ftouni of the pro-Hezbollah Al Mayadeen channel and her brother, cameraman Mohammad Ftouni, were all killed when their vehicle was hit in Jezzine in southern Lebanon.
Israel's military in a statement alleged that Shoeib "operated within the Hezbollah terrorist organisation under the guise of a journalist for the Al Manar network", without providing evidence.
It did not comment on the deaths of Ftouni and her brother.
Al Mayadeen said in a statement that in tribute to the journalists, Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) "announced wave 86 of Operation True Promise 4, dedicating the launch to their sacrifices,” which was "carried out in multiple phases, involving coordinated missile and drone strikes by its Aerospace and Naval Forces."
Meanwhile, the Washington DC-bades media watchdog Committee to Protect Journalists says it is investigating the attack, calling Lebanon "an increasingly deadly zone for journalists, despite their status as civilians who must not be targeted.”
We have seen a disturbing pattern in this war and in the decades prior of Israel accusing journalists of being active combatants and terrorists without providing credible evidence. Journalists are not legitimate targets, regardless of the outlet they work for, according to CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah in a statement issued after the attack.
Revenge
Lebanon was pulled into the Middle East conflict when Tehran-backed Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel on March 2 in revenge for the killing of Iran's supreme leader in the opening salvo of the US-Israeli war against the Islamic republic.
Israel responded with large-scale airstrikes across Lebanon and a ground offensive in the south. Lebanese authorities say at least 1,189 people have been killed since the hostilities broke out.
Many Hezbollah flags were in evidence at the funeral in a temporary cemetery in Beirut's southern suburbs, where the group holds sway.
correspondents of French press agency AFP said hundreds of people attended the funeral, and the bodies of Shoeib and Fatima Ftouni were draped in their channels' logos and with bouquets of flowers.
"Fatima and Ali were heroes," a relative of Ftouni's who gave only his first name as Qassem told AFP.
"We will continue on this path, on this journey, even if we all become martyrs."
Ali Hashem, who had been close to Shoeib, said "losing them is very difficult", but "we will not be broken".
Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun condemned the killings as "a blatant crime".
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told public broadcaster France 3 on Sunday that journalists working in war zones "must never be targeted, including when they "have links with parties to the conflict".
"If it is indeed confirmed that the journalists in question were deliberately targeted by the Israeli army, then this is extremely serious and a blatant violation of international law," Barrot said.
Since the start of the previous hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah in 2023, which a November 2024 ceasefire sought to end, the CPJ has documented at least 11 Lebanese journalists and press workers killed by Israel.
In the Gaza Strip, where Israel fought a war against Palestinian armed group Hamas from October 2023 until a ceasefire last year, 210 Palestinian journalists and media workers have been killed by the Israeli military, the CPJ said.
(With newswires)
