Israeli Strike Kills TV Presenter in Southern Lebanon

Lebanese Minister Condemns Israeli Attack on TV Presenter, Calls for International Action

A television presenter working for Lebanon’s Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar TV station has been killed in an Israeli attack on the southern Lebanese city of Tyre, according to the Lebanese armed group. Ali Nour al-Din was reportedly a presenter of religious programs and also served as the main preacher in Al-Hawsh, a suburb of Tyre.

Lebanese Minister of Information Paul Morcos condemned the Israeli strike, stating that such attacks spare neither journalistic nor media crews. He expressed solidarity with the media family and called on the international community to assume its responsibilities and take urgent action to protect media professionals in Lebanon.

At least six Lebanese journalists have been killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon since 2023, according to a tally by the Committee to Protect Journalists. The Ministry of Health reported that one person was killed in an Israeli air strike in Tyre earlier this week, although the victim’s name has not been announced.

The Israeli military later confirmed the killing of al-Din and stated that it struck two other people in the Nabatieh areas of southern Lebanon. Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a US-brokered ceasefire in 2024 to end more than a year of fighting between the two groups. Despite the ceasefire, Israel has continued to carry out regular attacks on targets in Lebanon.

Hezbollah called on supporters to gather in its strongholds across Lebanon to express support for Iran, which the group said was facing “American-Zionist sabotage and threats”. The US aircraft carrier strike group arrived in the Middle East as US President Donald Trump continued to threaten Tehran with an attack. Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem warned that any attack on Tehran would also be an attack on Hezbollah.

The incident has sparked concerns about the safety of media professionals in Lebanon, with Morcos calling for increased protection measures. The Committee to Protect Journalists has reported a significant number of journalist deaths in Israeli attacks since 2023.

Source: Al Jazeera