IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Efi Defrin explained why Al-Manar journalist Ali Shoeib was eliminated. Defrin stated that "Shoeib was officially recruited as a member of Hezbollah's military wing in 2020, but in practice has been collaborating with the terror organization since 2013. His role in the intelligence unit was to photograph intelligence information and transfer it to the Radwan Force - under the guise of a journalist." He added: "Shoeib's activity of exposing IDF force locations posed a real threat to the lives of our forces in southern Lebanon."