The headquarters of Al-Manar television bombed by Israeli aviation in Haret Hreik in the southern suburbs of Beirut, on March 3, 2026. (Credit: Mohammad Yassin/L'Orient-Le Jour)
The Audiovisual Workers' Union in Lebanon on Tuesday condemned the Israeli airstrikes that occurred overnight and at dawn in the southern suburbs of Beirut, targeting the headquarters of Al-Manar TV in Haret Hreik and the premises of Al-Nour radio in the Madi neighborhood, two media outlets affiliated with Hezbollah.
In a statement, the union said that "targeting the media aims to silence the Lebanese media voice and prevent any coverage of violations committed by the occupation."
It denounced a "deliberate attack" that "undermines press freedom and constitutes a blatant violation of all laws and international conventions that provide for the neutrality of media institutions and the protection of their employees during periods of conflict."
While announcing its "full solidarity with the journalist colleagues at Al-Manar and Al-Nour," the union stated that "targeting the media will not succeed in silencing the truth" and that Lebanese journalists "will continue their professional mission of transmitting facts and denouncing aggression, regardless of the pressures."
"This aggression once again reveals the Israeli occupation's disdain for international law and for international institutions charged with protecting press freedom, and raises serious questions about the silence of the international community in the face of repeated attacks on media and civilian institutions in Lebanon," the statement added.
Hezbollah’s media office, for its part, condemned in a statement "the Israeli criminal aggression against its institutions, which represent the flagship of resistance media, both in voice and image," and assured that these two outlets will continue to broadcast, transmitting "the voice of the resistance as well as the images and stories of its exploits, the resilience of its people and its steadfastness over the airwaves."
While welcoming "the safety of all staff members," the office affirmed that "no aggression will undermine their determination." It considered that "this new perfidious crime constitutes a new episode in the systematic Israeli aggression targeting the voice and image of the resistance, in a clear attempt to affect the morale of our people as part of an ongoing and growing psychological war."
Israel has been striking Lebanon intensively since Monday in retaliation for rockets fired by the party, which the latter justifies by the Israeli-American war against Iran. The Israeli army said Tuesday that the 91st Division, attached to the Northern Command and responsible for the front with Lebanon, is currently operating in southern Lebanon after being deployed to several new strategic points as part of an effort to strengthen its defense posture.
