Israeli killing of journalists Ftouni and Choeib: Journalists gather in protest, condemn Salam

BEIRUT — Fellow journalists and supporters gathered at Martyrs’ Square on Saturday evening to protest Israel's killing of journalists Ali Choeib and Fatima Ftouni, and Ftouni's brother, a videographer, earlier today in a targeted drone strike on their vehicle on a main road in Jezzine, southern Lebanon.

Amongst the chants at the protest were slogans specifically directed against Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, calling him a “Zionist." The attacks sparked an online solidarity campaign in support of the prime minister, notably under the slogan “Against Israel, against Iran, with Nawaf Salam.”

The march proceeded from Martyrs’ Square to Riad Al-Solh Square and included parliamentary, political, partisan, and union figures. The director of al-Mayadeen, Ghassan Bin Jeddo, made a speech, saying: "With hearts full of dignity, sovereignty, and freedom, we honor our martyr, our beloved, and our daughter Fatima Ftouni, the heroic correspondent who broke the occupation’s narrative and carried out one of the most remarkable journalistic achievements in Lebanon and the Arab world. We also honor the brave journalist and correspondent Ali Shoeib from al-Manar, and Muhammad, Fatima’s brother, martyrs of the word."

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Israel kills journalists Ali Choeib and Fatima Ftouni, along with two videographers, in targeted Israeli strike on car in Jezzine

For his part, Hezbollah MP Ibrahim Moussawi stated that "the enemy kills those who hold pens and those who speak through media, because it seeks to impose its narrative, to shape awareness, and to mislead people."

This is not the first time Israel has targeted and killed journalists. Between October 2023 and October 2025, 13 journalists or media workers were killed in Lebanon in Israeli strikes. In some cases, including the killing of Reuters video journalist Issam Abdallah in October 2023, multiple international investigations concluded the strike was deliberate.

More recently, on the night of March 17-18, 2026, Israel targeted the home of Mohammad Cherri, head of political programs at al-Manar, killing him and his wife, and wounding their children and grandchildren. On March 19, two Russia Today journalists were wounded in an Israeli attack while reporting on the Qannayat bridge. On March 25, Israel killed Hussein Hammoud, a freelance photojournalist, in a strike on Nabatieh.