Hundreds of mourners gathered in heavy rain in Beirut for the funerals of three Lebanese journalists killed by Israeli air strikes in southern Lebanon. The victims, Ali Shoaib, Fatima Fatouni and Muhammad Fatouni, were struck while reporting near Jezzine. Witnesses said a second strike hit as colleagues rushed to help, and the Lebanese Health Ministry reported that an ambulance sent to the scene was also targeted.

An Israeli military spokesman said the strike targeted the group, alleging without providing evidence that Shoaib was affiliated with an elite Hezbollah unit. The Committee for the Protection of Journalists said reporters are protected under the Geneva Convention and warned of a pattern of accusing journalists of militancy without credible proof. Lebanese officials and media representatives described the killings as war crimes.

The deaths come amid intensified Israeli operations in Lebanon, with reported strikes on health facilities and ambulances. Lebanese authorities say more than fifty medics have been killed in less than a month and deny Israeli claims that ambulances are being used for military purposes. Lebanon faces a deepening humanitarian crisis, with more than one million displaced and ongoing clashes between Hezbollah fighters and Israeli forces as Israel signals plans to establish a security buffer zone in southern Lebanon.