We speak with journalist Lylla Younes in Beirut as Israel vows to expand its invasion of Lebanon and occupy much of the country. This comes as an Israeli strike targeted a marked press car in southern Lebanon on Saturday, killing Ali Shoeib of Al-Manar TV, reporter Fatima Ftouni of Al Mayadeen TV, and her brother, freelance cameraman Mohamed Ftouni. Israel’s military said it had targeted Shoeib, accusing him of being a Hezbollah intelligence operative, without providing evidence. The World Health Organization says nine paramedics were also killed Saturday in five separate Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon, bringing the total number of health workers killed by Israel in March to 51.

Such brazen killings are an attempt by Israel “to break the will of a people in a moment of deep vulnerability,” says Younes.

Transcript

AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report. I’m Amy Goodman.

An Israeli strike targeted a marked press car in southern Lebanon Saturday, killing Ali Shoeib of Al-Manar TV, reporter Fatima Ftouni of Al Mayadeen TV, and her brother, freelance cameraman Mohamed Ftouni. Israel’s military said it targeted Shoeib, accusing him of being a Hezbollah intelligence operative, without providing evidence. Israel made no mention of the other two journalists that the military killed.

Mourners and protesters gathered in Martyrs’ Square. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun described the journalists as “civilians doing their professional duty.” He condemned Israel’s attack in a statement on social media that read in part, quote, “It is a brazen crime that violates all treaties and norms through which journalists enjoy international protection in war,” unquote.

Lebanon’s Information Minister Paul Marcos said his country will submit a complaint to the United Nations.

PAUL MARCOS: [translated] We are working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to complete a complaint file to be submitted to the relevant bodies and international forums, the United Nations Human Rights Council, the International Committee of the Red Cross and other international bodies. … We will not consider the repeated and deliberate targeting of journalists as something normal, and we will not accept it.

AMY GOODMAN: The attack comes as the World Health Organization said nine paramedics were also killed Saturday in five separate Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon, bringing the total number of health workers killed by Israel in March to 51.

We go right now to Beirut, where we’re joined by the investigative journalist Lylla Younes. Her piece for Drop Site News earlier this month is headlined “Israel Killed Over a Dozen Lebanese Paramedics in Three Days, Now Claiming That Ambulances Are 'Hezbollah' Targets.”

We welcome you back to Democracy Now!, Lylla. Talk about the three journalists killed. Exactly what happened? This is perhaps the first time that Israel is admitting it targeted one of the journalists. It doesn’t talk about the other two, blowing up their car.

LYLLA YOUNES: Right. These reporters were prominent journalists we all recognize here in Lebanon, and they’ve been reporting from the ground in the south even before this escalation started — Ali Shoeib, Fatima Ftouni and her brother, Mohamed Ftouni. So, they were basically in a car driving in the Jezzine district of southern Lebanon, when a suicide drone struck the car. And then, you know, individuals on the side of the road began rushing towards the vehicle, trying to help to see if there was wounded that they could rescue. And then Israel targeted the car again with a second strike, which is something that we’re seeing a lot right now in Lebanon, these sort of double-tap strikes that affect the ability of first responders to actually do their job.

AMY GOODMAN: I wanted to go to the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this as Israel’s military says it’s expanding its invasion of southern Lebanon.

PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: [translated] In Lebanon, I have just instructed to further expand the existing security zone in order to decisively thwart the threat of invasion and to push anti-tank missile fire away from our border.

AMY GOODMAN: Lylla Younes, if you can talk about what the prime minister said, and also talk about the funeral and who turned out for this funeral of the three journalists?

LYLLA YOUNES: The funeral was packed with reporters, with, you know, press, and also individuals who have been following the voices of these journalists for years. And I want to tell you about these reporters. You know, the Israeli military spokesperson and the various outlets that launder, you know, his claims will tell you that these were Hezbollah militants or propagandists for terrorism. But as a reporter here on the ground, Amy, it’s my responsibility to tell you how these reporters’ communities describe them, which is as courageous journalists who spoke truth to power, whose politics and commitment to reporting was directly informed by their experience with Israeli violence and occupation.

And, you know, additionally, I think it’s important to note that these claims that these reporters were military targets, you know, they mirror claims that we saw in Gaza when Israel targeted Anas al-Sharif and Hossam Shabat and Ismail al-Ghoul — right? — claiming similar things there, when we were seeing these same reporters as we are here on the news day in, day out.

So, the hearts are very, very heavy here in Lebanon, you know, at the death of these reporters. And, of course, this is not the first time that Israel has kind of targeted reporters. And I think it’s important, as well, to note that in doing so, what Israel is effectively doing is it’s trying to break the will of the people of this community that they’re kind of leading this campaign of collective punishment against. When we see those reporters on the ground in the south, in land that hundreds and thousands have been forced to flee, you know, it gives hope. There’s almost, you know, in seeing them there on that earth, a promise of return. And so, I think that this is really an attempt to kind of, you know, break the will of a people in a moment of deep vulnerability.

AMY GOODMAN: Israel’s military wrote on social media, quote, ”ELIMINATED:* For years, Ali Hassan Shaib operated as Hezbollah Radwan Force terrorist under the guise of a journalist. Turns out the 'press vest' was just a cover for terror,” they said. The text appears with an image that appears to be two photographs of Shoeib spliced together — that’s what it looks like — on the left, wearing a press uniform; on the right, a military uniform of Hezbollah. But the image is a fake. The IDF later admitted to Fox News the photograph on the right is photoshopped. Your response to this?

LYLLA YOUNES: Amy, it’s — you know, we’ve seen it before. Remember when they assassinated Ismail al-Ghoul in Gaza. You know, what did they say? They said that he was a part of an elite Hamas division, and they named the date of his entry into that division. And then, if you do the math, given his extremely young age, he would have been a child at the time of his, you know, entry into this elite Hamas division. Another blatant lie, an attempt to justify, you know, what is obviously against international law and all human conscience, the targeting of press as they’re on the ground doing their work.

AMY GOODMAN: We talked about the medics killed the last time you were on. Even more. If you can explain the latest killing of medics? We just have 30 seconds.

LYLLA YOUNES: It’s been relentless, Amy, you know, 12 killed in Burj Qalaouiyah, five in Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, the 15-year-old Joud Sleiman killed alongside the 19-year-old Ali Jaber on the road in a clearly marked EMS vehicle. If, you know, the U.S. government doesn’t force Israel to stop these crimes, they will only continue.

AMY GOODMAN: Lylla Younes, I want to thank you for joining us, investigative journalist and writer based in Beirut.