An Israeli strike killed at least three journalists and wounded several others as they slept in guesthouses in southern Lebanon on Friday, Lebanon's health ministry said, in what Beirut declared a war crime.

Beirut authorities say the offensive has killed more than 2,500 people and displaced more than 1.2 million people, the majority of them over the last month, creating a humanitarian crisis.

The journalists killed were camera operator Ghassan Najjar and engineer Mohamed Reda of the news outlet Al-Mayadeen and camera operator Wissam Qassem, who worked for Hezbollah's Al-Manar, the outlets said in separate statements.

It was the deadliest attack on media in Lebanon since hostilities erupted between Israel and Hezbollah just over a year ago, prompted by the Gaza war.

Five journalists have been killed in previous Israeli strikes while reporting on the conflict in Lebanon, including Reuters visual journalist Issam Abdallah on Oct. 13, 2023.

Another four were killed at home over the last month, according to the Samir Kassir Foundation, a press freedom organisation.