A television presenter associated with Lebanon’s Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar TV channel was killed in an Israeli strike on the southern Lebanese city of Tyre on Monday, prompting condemnation from media bodies and Lebanese officials.
Hezbollah identified the victim as Ali Nour al-Din, a presenter who had previously hosted religious programmes on Al-Manar TV. The group described his killing as a “treacherous assassination” and warned that Israel’s actions now extend to targeting members of the media community.
Media figure among latest casualties
Al-Manar TV confirmed al-Din’s death, stating that he had worked with the channel as a religious programme presenter. Hezbollah also said al-Din served as the main preacher in Al-Hawsh, a suburb of Tyre.
Lebanon’s Ministry of Health earlier reported that one person was killed in an Israeli air strike in Tyre, without initially naming the victim. It also said two others were killed in a separate Israeli strike in Kfar Rumman near Nabatieh.
The Israeli military later acknowledged killing al-Din, referring to him as a Hezbollah member, and said it had also struck two other individuals in the Nabatieh area.
Condemnation and calls for protection
Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos condemned the attack, saying such strikes were “sparing neither journalistic nor media crews”.
“We declare our solidarity and condolences to the media family, and call on the international community to fully assume its responsibilities and take urgent action to put an end to these violations and ensure the protection of media professionals in Lebanon,” Morcos said in a statement.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, at least six Lebanese journalists have been killed in Israeli attacks since 2023, though other monitors place the number as high as 10.
Ceasefire under strain
Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a US-brokered ceasefire in 2024 after more than a year of fighting. However, Israel has continued to carry out regular strikes in Lebanon and maintains troops at five locations in the south.
Since the ceasefire, more than 350 people have been killed in Lebanon in Israeli attacks, according to AFP, amid mounting pressure on Lebanese authorities to disarm Hezbollah.
The killing of al-Din comes amid heightened regional tensions, with Hezbollah warning that any attack on Iran would trigger wider conflict across the Middle East.