The Russian Foreign Ministry called the IDF strike on the journalists' car in Lebanon a grave crime.

On March 28, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called an attack by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on a car carrying three journalists in southern Lebanon a grave crime.

"An Israeli Air Force missile strike in the Jezzine area of southern Lebanon ended the lives of three correspondents of Al Mayadeen and Al-Manar TV channels — Fatima Ftouni, Muhammad Ftouni, Ali Shuaib <...> We deeply sympathize with all the relatives and friends of the deceased correspondents. Eternal memory to them," the diplomatic mission said in a Telegram channel.

The text emphasizes that the attack on the car of media representatives, who were wearing uniforms marked with a "press" stripe, was targeted. The IDF's argument that the attacked vehicle was allegedly carrying terrorists was called an attempt by Tel Aviv to absolve itself of responsibility for a "grave crime" in accordance with international humanitarian law.

Representatives of the Russian Foreign Ministry said that they had long been unsurprised by the "professional blindness" of employees of international organizations and added that they would never agree with what was happening. The ministry added that they would insist on the need to investigate this murder and bring all those responsible to justice.

"As in the case of all other similar tragedies, we will insist on the need to investigate this murder, bring all those responsible to justice and stop this bloody practice once and for all," the statement concluded.

"They were trying to show the whole truth of the conflict"

On December 15, the Memorial Day of the dead Journalists, relatives and colleagues remembered the fallen military officers.

The journalists were killed on March 28 in an attack by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in southern Lebanon. Fatima Ftouni and Ali Shuaib, just a couple of hours before their deaths, had Telegram channels where they posted small messages about what was happening in Lebanon. The car used by the media staff turned out to be almost completely destroyed.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the murder and expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and all representatives of the journalistic and media community. Roni Alpha, director of the Middle East information bureau of Al Mayadeen, also called the deceased journalist Fatima Ftouni, who collaborated with Izvestia, a heroine.

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