Arabic version: الأمم المتحدة تطالب بالتحقيق في الهجوم الإسرائيلي على الصحفيين في لبنان
Three United Nations experts have called for an independent and thorough investigation into Israel’s recent killing of three journalists in Lebanon, denouncing the deadly incident as “another egregious attack on press freedom by Israeli forces.” According to Al Jazeera, the UN special rapporteurs emphasized that journalists performing their duties in armed conflict are civilians and must not be targeted.
The Israeli military killed Al Mayadeen journalist Fatima Ftouni, her brother Mohamad Ftouni, a freelance photojournalist, and Ali Shoaib from Al-Manar in a targeted strike on their car in southern Lebanon on March 28. The Israeli military killed Al Mayadeen journalist Fatima Ftouni, her brother, freelance photojournalist Mohamad Ftouni, and Al-Manar’s Ali Shoaib in a targeted strike on their car in southern Lebanon on March 28. Israeli officials accused Shoaib of being a fighter with Hezbollah, a claim that was rejected by his colleagues and the UN experts, who noted that working for media outlets affiliated with armed groups does not equate to active participation in hostilities under international law.
The UN experts condemned the killings as a serious violation of international human rights and humanitarian law, labeling it a war crime. They criticized Israeli officials for ignoring established legal standards and highlighted a pattern of impunity for previous killings of journalists in Lebanon, Gaza, and the West Bank.
The Committee to Protect Journalists reported that Israel was responsible for two-thirds of all journalist killings in 2024 and 2025, with a significant number of those being Palestinian journalists. Following the recent attacks, CPJ’s Middle East director warned that Lebanon is becoming increasingly dangerous for journalists, emphasizing that they are not legitimate targets.
The UN experts also expressed concern that the killings are part of a broader effort to silence reporting on Israel’s military actions in Lebanon, similar to tactics used in Gaza. The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that over 1,345 people have died and more than 4,040 have been injured due to intensified Israeli attacks across Lebanon since early March.
