IDF kills Hezbollah-linked journalist, says he was part of elite Radwan Force |
The Israeli military on Saturday killed Hezbollah-affiliated journalist Ali Shoeib in an airstrike in southern Lebanon, saying he was targeted for being a member of the terror group’s elite Radwan Force
The strike targeted a car in the southern town of Jezzine, and also killed Fatima Ftouni, a reporter with the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Mayadeen channel, the network reported.
The Israel Defense Forces later confirmed the strike, saying Shoeib was an operative in the Radwan Force’s intelligence unit while also working as a journalist for the Hezbollah-owned Al-Manar TV channel.
The IDF said Shoeib “served as a terrorist in the Hezbollah terror organization under the guise of a journalist for the Al-Manar network, while consistently working to expose the locations of IDF troops operating in southern Lebanon and along the border, and maintained continuous contact with other terrorists in the Radwan Force unit in particular, and within the terror organization in general.”
During the ongoing war with Iran, Shoeib “continued his activities and reported on the locations of IDF troops operating in southern Lebanon,” the IDF said.
The military said Shoeib also “engaged in incitement against IDF troops and Israeli civilians, using his position at the channel to disseminate Hezbollah propaganda materials.”
לפני זמן קצר, חיל-האוויר תקף וחיסל את עלי חסן שעיב, מחבל ביחידת המודיעין של יחידת 'כוח רדואן' בארגון הטרור חיזבאללה. המחבל עלי חסן שעיב שימש כמחבל בארגון הטרור חיזבאללה במסווה של עיתונאי ברשת 'אלמנאר', תוך שפעל באופן עקבי לחשוף את מיקומם של כוחות צה"ל הפועלים בדרום לבנון ובקו… pic.twitter.com/1D5r31FlSN Advertisement if(typeof rgb_remove_toi_dfp_banner != "function" || !rgb_remove_toi_dfp_banner("#336x280_Middle_1")){ window.tude = window.tude || { cmd: [] }; tude.cmd.push(function() { if(navigator.userAgent.indexOf("rgbmedia-app") > -1){ tude.setDeviceType("mobile"); } tude.refreshAdsViaDivMappings([ { divId: '336x280_Middle_1', baseDivId: '336x280_Middle_1', } ]); }); } — Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) March 28, 2026
לפני זמן קצר, חיל-האוויר תקף וחיסל את עלי חסן שעיב, מחבל ביחידת המודיעין של יחידת 'כוח רדואן' בארגון הטרור חיזבאללה.
המחבל עלי חסן שעיב שימש כמחבל בארגון הטרור חיזבאללה במסווה של עיתונאי ברשת 'אלמנאר', תוך שפעל באופן עקבי לחשוף את מיקומם של כוחות צה"ל הפועלים בדרום לבנון ובקו… pic.twitter.com/1D5r31FlSN
— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) March 28, 2026
For years Shoeib had been broadcasting from the border with Israel, at times taunting Israeli troops.
In January 2024, Shoeib published a post on X threatening Eitan Davidi, the leader of the Israeli border community of Margaliot. The post included footage showing a Hezbollah operative aiming a gun at Davidi’s home from across the border.
מצד אחד זה בעייתי מאוד לחסל עיתונאי, חלאה ככל שיהיה, ומהצד השני עלי שועייב היה איש חיזבאללה, שאיים בפלטפורמות שלו על יו"ר מרגליות איתן דוידי. בצה"ל אמרו ששועייב העביר לחיזבאללה מיקומי כוחות בזמן המלחמה לא כחלק מדיווחיו השוטפים אלה קשר ישיר עם אנשי חיזבאללה. בעשותו כך הפך חלק מהם.… pic.twitter.com/92XPFdSmot — איתי בלומנטל ???????? Itay Blumental (@ItayBlumental) March 28, 2026
מצד אחד זה בעייתי מאוד לחסל עיתונאי, חלאה ככל שיהיה, ומהצד השני עלי שועייב היה איש חיזבאללה, שאיים בפלטפורמות שלו על יו"ר מרגליות איתן דוידי. בצה"ל אמרו ששועייב העביר לחיזבאללה מיקומי כוחות בזמן המלחמה לא כחלק מדיווחיו השוטפים אלה קשר ישיר עם אנשי חיזבאללה. בעשותו כך הפך חלק מהם.… pic.twitter.com/92XPFdSmot
— איתי בלומנטל ???????? Itay Blumental (@ItayBlumental) March 28, 2026
According to Israeli military sources, Shoeib had been in contact with top Hezbollah commanders over the years, including Ali Karaki, the commander of Hezbollah’s Southern Front, who was killed alongside Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in September 2024; Mohammad Afif, the head of the terror group’s media relations, who was killed in November 2024; and Muhammad Nimah Nasser, the commander of Hezbollah’s Aziz regional division, who was killed in July 2024.
Israel did not comment on, or provide justification for, the killing of Al-Mayadeen reporter Ftouni in the same strike.
Journalists, even those linked to terror groups, enjoy protection under international humanitarian law unless or until they take up arms and participate directly in hostilities, in which case they become a legitimate target.
أنا لله وإنا اليه راجعون ???? استشهاد الصحافيين علي شعيب وفاطمة فتوني، مراسلي المنار والميادين، إثر استهداف إسرائيلي مباشر خلال تغطيتهما للعدوان على لبنان. pic.twitter.com/RdqpAGEKf7 — غضنفر المقداد (@Gaznf7) March 28, 2026
أنا لله وإنا اليه راجعون ????
استشهاد الصحافيين علي شعيب وفاطمة فتوني، مراسلي المنار والميادين، إثر استهداف إسرائيلي مباشر خلال تغطيتهما للعدوان على لبنان. pic.twitter.com/RdqpAGEKf7
— غضنفر المقداد (@Gaznf7) March 28, 2026
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the strike, saying: “Once again, the Israeli aggression violates the most basic rules of international law, international humanitarian law and the laws of war, by targeting journalists, who are ultimately civilians performing a professional duty.”
“This is a blatant crime that violates all the norms and treaties under which journalists enjoy international protection in wars,” Aoun said in a statement released by the presidency.
Al-Manar TV did not respond to the Israeli allegations of Shoeib’s Hezbollah terror activities, but reported on his killing, describing him as “distinguished by his professional and credible reporting of events.”
Are you relying on The Times of Israel for accurate and timely coverage of the Iran war right now? If so, please join The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6/month, you will:
Support our independent journalists who are working around the clock under difficult conditions to cover this conflict;
Read ToI with a clear, ads-free experience on our site, apps and emails; and
Gain access to exclusive content shared only with the ToI Community, including weekly letters from founding editor David Horovitz.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
You clearly find our careful reporting of the Iran war valuable, at a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.
Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically during this ongoing conflict.
So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you'll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
1 In tense call, Vance knocked PM for overselling likelihood of Iran regime change — report
2 Joining war, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis launch missile attack on southern Israel
3 Israel bombs 2 IRGC-linked steel plants, 2 nuclear facilities as Iran vows revenge
4 One killed, several wounded in Iranian ballistic missile attack on central Israel
5 Mass cancellations as Arkia changes course, says long-haul flights to depart from Israel, not Jordan
6 187 years after deadly Iran pogrom, Mashhad crypto-Jews are focus of Jerusalem exhibit
7 12 US troops wounded, 2 seriously, in Iranian attack on Saudi base — report
8 Photo essayA look at the giant Iranian missile hulls scattered across Israel and the West Bank
2026 Israel-Hezbollah conflict
IDF Israel Defense Forces