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IDF kills Hezbollah-linked journalist, says he was part of elite Radwan Force

By The Editorial Team

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The Israeli military on Saturday killed Hezbollah-affiliated journalist Ali Shoeib in an airstrike in southern Lebanon, saying he was targeted for being a member of the terror group’s elite Radwan Force

The strike targeted a car in the southern town of Jezzine, and also killed Fatima Ftouni, a reporter with the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Mayadeen channel, the network reported.

The Israel Defense Forces later confirmed the strike, saying Shoeib was an operative in the Radwan Force’s intelligence unit while also working as a journalist for the Hezbollah-owned Al-Manar TV channel.

The IDF said Shoeib “served as a terrorist in the Hezbollah terror organization under the guise of a journalist for the Al-Manar network, while consistently working to expose the locations of IDF troops operating in southern Lebanon and along the border, and maintained continuous contact with other terrorists in the Radwan Force unit in particular, and within the terror organization in general.”

During the ongoing war with Iran, Shoeib “continued his activities and reported on the locations of IDF troops operating in southern Lebanon,” the IDF said.

The military said Shoeib also “engaged in incitement against IDF troops and Israeli civilians, using his position at the channel to disseminate Hezbollah propaganda materials.”

For years Shoeib had been broadcasting from the border with Israel, at times taunting Israeli troops.

In January 2024, Shoeib published a post on X threatening Eitan Davidi, the leader of the Israeli border community of Margaliot. The post included footage showing a Hezbollah operative aiming a gun at Davidi’s home from across the border.

According to Israeli military sources, Shoeib had been in contact with top Hezbollah commanders over the years, including Ali Karaki, the commander of Hezbollah’s Southern Front, who was killed alongside Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in September 2024; Mohammad Afif, the head of the terror group’s media relations, who was killed in November 2024; and Muhammad Nimah Nasser, the commander of Hezbollah’s Aziz regional division, who was killed in July 2024.

Israel did not comment on, or provide justification for, the killing of Al-Mayadeen reporter Ftouni in the same strike.

Journalists, even those linked to terror groups, enjoy protection under international humanitarian law unless or until they take up arms and participate directly in hostilities, in which case they become a legitimate target.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the strike, saying: “Once again, the Israeli aggression violates the most basic rules of international law, international humanitarian law and the laws of war, by targeting journalists, who are ultimately civilians performing a professional duty.”

“This is a blatant crime that violates all the norms and treaties under which journalists enjoy international protection in wars,” Aoun said in a statement released by the presidency.

Al-Manar TV did not respond to the Israeli allegations of Shoeib’s Hezbollah terror activities, but reported on his killing, describing him as “distinguished by his professional and credible reporting of events.”


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The Editorial Team
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