Israeli forces opened fire on four journalists in Dhaira, a village in the Sour district, on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, according to one of the targeted reporters, who spoke to L'Orient-Le Jour. The journalists work for Lebanese channels Al Manar and al-Mayadeen, aligned with Hezbollah.

Jamal Ghourabi, a journalist with al-Mayadeen, said the shooting occurred as residents of Dhaira held a sit-in to demand Israel’s withdrawal from the area. Three al-Mayadeen journalists and Amal Khalil, a reporter from al-Akhbar newspaper, were present during the incident.

No casualties

"The Israeli army first opened fire twice from the al-Jardah position on the outskirts of the village. Three minutes later, we were directly targeted by nine shots, three of which were aimed at the area where I was," he stressed.

An Israeli drone also dropped a stun grenade near the journalists while they were deployed on the ground, added Ghourabi, noting that no journalists were injured. 

He also condemned the Israeli army's decision to open fire in their direction during the sit-in, despite journalists and residents being blocked by the Lebanese Army from approaching the area where Israeli forces were stationed.

Al-Akhbar was unavailable for comment at the time of publication. 

This is the first time that journalists have been targeted in Lebanon since the cease-fire agreement came into effect on Nov. 27, 2024. Israel had targeted several teams of journalists in southern Lebanon as part of the war with Hezbollah.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 82 Palestinian journalists were killed in Gaza in 2024 and three journalists in Lebanon, "all at the hands of the Israeli army."

More than 4,000 people have been killed in Lebanon during 13 months of war between Hezbollah and Israel. Since the deadline for implementing the cease-fire agreement expired, the Israeli army has maintained its occupation of five strategic locations in southern Lebanon. It has also carried out airstrikes in various parts of the country.

On Wednesday, an Israeli drone strike targeted a car on the road to Hosh al-Sayyed Ali al-Qasr, in northern Hermel, killing two people.