Israel’s Ambassador Addresses Journalist Deaths and Aid Worker Tragedy in Canberra
Israel’s new ambassador to Australia, Dr. Hillel Newman, has asserted that two of the three journalists tragically killed in a recent Israeli airstrike in Lebanon were, in fact, members of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force. Dr. Newman, who assumed his ambassadorial duties earlier this month, faced pointed questions regarding these fatalities during an address to the National Press Club in Canberra on Tuesday.
The individuals in question were identified as Ali Shoeib, a reporter for Hezbollah-affiliated Al Manar TV, and Al Mayadeen channel’s reporter Fatima Ftouni, along with her brother and cameraman, Mohamed Ftouni. These journalists were reportedly killed in the town of Jezzine, situated east of Sidon. These events come amidst concerning reports from the Committee to Protect Journalists, which has accused Israel of causing a record number of journalist deaths in 2025, an accusation Israel has denied.
When pressed on the killings, Dr. Newman maintained that Israel “has never targeted a journalist just for being a journalist,” and that their actions are focused on individuals who are “100 per cent journalist.”
He further elaborated, claiming that two of the three individuals killed in the Lebanon strike were “dressed up as journalists.” Dr. Newman stated, “They were members of what is called the Radwan forces of the Hezbollah,” referring to what is understood to be the Iran-backed group’s special forces unit. He added, “The third one, we’re not sure about. We’re not sure whether we assume that because he was with the two, he was also a terrorist with them. Two of them we’ve identified as terrorists, and they’re also identified by Hezbollah as terrorists.”
Addressing a doctored photograph shared by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) depicting one of the deceased in military attire, Dr. Newman clarified that the IDF had presented it as an “illustration post.” He countered, “But, we have authentic photos and pictures which I can send to anybody who wants of this individual in military uniform of the Hezbollah.” He insisted, “So, the truth behind it is that he was a true terrorist, 100 per cent terrorist, and they (Hezbollah) made a post in order to illustrate the fact that he was disguising as a journalist. And, then IDF was attacked … as if making up that he was a terrorist. We didn’t make up that he’s a terrorist. We have authentic pictures of him as a terrorist.”
Earlier in his remarks, Dr. Newman had also alleged that both Hamas and Hezbollah “disguise themselves as press and remain terrorist operatives.” When questioned about the proportion of those killed who were not terrorists, Dr. Newman responded candidly, “the honest truth is that we have no way of knowing the exact amount of journalists who weren’t 100 per cent journalists who were killed.”
The broader conflict in Lebanon has seen the IDF targeting alleged Hezbollah positions, resulting in over 1200 fatalities since the operations began. These actions have been met with strong rhetoric from some Israeli officials, with Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich previously stating that operations in Lebanon “must end with a radical change, beyond the vanquishing of the terror group Hezbollah.” He further proposed, “The Litani (river) must be our new border with the state of Lebanon, just like the ‘Yellow Line’ in Gaza and like the buffer zone and peak of the Hermon in Syria.”
When questioned about Israel’s intentions to “create a new border,” Dr. Newman reiterated that Israel’s actions were “100 per cent defensive.” He sought to delineate his position from Mr. Smotrich’s, noting that the Finance Minister “represents jurisdiction of specific constituents of a specific kind.” However, Dr. Newman acknowledged that “binding policy was what was accepted and adopted in Cabinet.”
Ambassador Grilled on Aid Worker’s Killing
Dr. Newman also addressed the investigation into the killing of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom in Gaza, denying claims that the inquiry by Israel’s Advocate General had been “shelved.” Ms. Frankcom was tragically killed in an Israeli drone strike on April 1, 2024, during a World Central Kitchen aid delivery. To date, no prosecutions have been initiated in Israel in relation to her death.
During his Press Club address, Dr. Newman stated that the probe had not been cancelled, suggesting instead that “it could be that there are not updates.” He promised, “I’ll check.” He affirmed that Australian investigator Mark Binskin had been granted full and “unprecedented” access, though he could not definitively confirm whether Australia had received access to the drone audio. “He was given full access at the time to what they had available,” Dr. Newman stated. “After his investigation, he drew up a conclusion that was categorical … that the attack was not intentional. The issue of penalising the soldiers who were involved or the the aspects of involved is a long judicial process. As far as I know, it is not to conclusion. As far as I know, they have not come to final conclusions not because they delay, there are legal cases in Israel that go on for years … as far as I know it (has) not come to that conclusion yet but I will check again.”
Regarding the release of audio recordings to the victims’ families, Dr. Newman declined to commit, explaining that such information remained with the IDF due to potential “intelligence” considerations. In response to a question from independent MP Zali Steggall about “tangible progress” in securing justice for Ms. Frankcom, whose brother was present in Canberra, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed he had raised the matter with Israeli President Isaac Herzog during his recent visit to Australia. “We’ll continue to work each and every day to do our best to ensure that there is transparency and appropriate action,” Mr. Albanese stated. The Prime Minister was scheduled to meet with Ms. Steggall and Ms. Frankcom’s brother, Mal, later that afternoon.
Regime Change Not the Objective, Ambassador Asserts
Dr. Newman also firmly denied that regime change was an “objective of the war.” This statement follows recent comments by Donald Trump, who claimed that “regime change” in Iran had effectively occurred due to the elimination of many of its top leaders.
“We do not define regime change as the objective of the war,” Dr. Newman reiterated. “We define the removal of the existential threats – many would say you cannot really remove the existential threats without the removal of the regime because the regime will always pursue nuclear capability and ballistic missile production, even if one man is left standing in Iran. So we understand this complication but we feel the regime change must come from the people of Iran.”
Dr. Newman acknowledged that Iranians are currently unable to protest freely due to ongoing military confrontations. “They’re in harm’s way and we don’t expect people to go onto the streets while there is operational activity but there is a strong chance that when we cease the military activity, there is a strong high probability that the people of Iran will then hit the streets and topple the regime (which) is their decision.” He concluded, “Therefore, for that reason, we have not defined regime change as our objective because in the end we leave it up for the people. The people of Iran must take their destiny in their own hands and make that decision.”
