Israeli strikes on south Lebanon: journalist killed, another wounded in Tiri
Hezbollah says it has struck an Israeli position in Bayyada.
by L'Orient Today staff · L'Orient TodayBEIRUT — Despite an ongoing cease-fire, the Israeli army carried out several deadly attacks in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, while continuing demolition operations in the border area it seeks to turn into a "buffer zone."
In Tiri (Bint Jbeil district), an Israeli strike targeted a vehicle, killing two people. Two journalists present at the scene were trapped, as the Israeli army prevented rescue teams from accessing the area. Several evacuation attempts were then disrupted by new strikes nearby, complicating the operation. One of the journalists, Zeinab Faraj, was injured and evacuated to a hospital, while journalist Amal Khalil was killed under the rubble of the house where she had taken shelter.
Elsewhere, two people were killed and two others wounded in Yohmor al-Shaqif, and another nighttime strike targeted the outskirts of Jabbour, according to our regional correspondent. Meanwhile, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for three attacks against the Israeli army since the cease-fire came into effect last Thursday night, all on Lebanese territory.
Two journalists trapped in Tiri, one injured
The Israeli strike in Tiri, which killed the two occupants of the targeted vehicle, occurred near journalists and civilians. Following the attack, the Israeli army barred ambulances, the Red Cross, and the Lebanese Army from accessing the area, hindering the treatment of victims.
Two journalists, Amal Khalil of the daily al-Akhbar and Zeinab Faraj, were then left stranded in the locality, as Israeli forces prevented rescue teams from reaching them. A Red Cross team was later able to enter the area to retrieve the bodies of the two victims. It then returned in an attempt to evacuate the journalists, but the operation was disrupted by an Israeli drone strike in the immediate vicinity.
According to our correspondent, Zeinab Faraj was slightly injured in the head and suffered a fractured leg. The Red Cross vehicle transporting her to the public hospital in Tibnin — where she was admitted to the operating room — was also targeted by Israeli fire, with visible bullet impacts, according to the state-run National News Agency (NNA). The Red Cross eventually intervened again, accompanied by a bulldozer to clear debris and attempt to locate Amal Khalil, whose fate remains unknown.
The Health Ministry said that the Israeli army had "targeted" the two journalists "who had sought refuge after the first strike in a neighboring house, by targeting the building where they had sheltered." In its statement, the ministry also accused Israel of preventing "the fulfillment of the Red Cross’s humanitarian mission" by launching "a stun grenade at the ambulance and targeting it with gunfire," thus preventing the extraction of Amal Khalil. The ministry concluded by calling on "U.N. and international bodies to put an end to this inhumane violation by the Israeli enemy, who will eventually be held accountable."
During the incident, intensive efforts were underway to secure access for rescue teams to Tiri. The Lebanese presidency said that President Joseph Aoun was closely monitoring the situation and had requested the intervention of the Lebanese Red Cross, in coordination with the army and UNIFIL peacekeepers, while reiterating calls not to target journalists in the line of duty.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam made contact with the UNIFIL commander. Information Minister Paul Morcos told Al-Jazeera that the Lebanese government had "conducted intensive and urgent contacts." The Lebanese Press Syndicate denounced "a blatant violation of the laws and international conventions guaranteeing the protection of journalists" and "an obvious attempt to intimidate the media."
Series of demolitions in south Lebanon, described as 'domicide' by Bint Jbeil
In the afternoon, an Israeli army drone also fired on another car driving in Yohmor al-Shaqif, leaving four casualties whose conditions was not immediately confirmed. Yohmor al-Shaqif is located in the de facto buffer zone the army is establishing in southern Lebanon.
Overnight, a fighter jet strike on the heights of the Jezzine district near West Bekaa killed one and injiured two others.
The Israeli army also continued demolition operations in numerous towns within the “buffer zone.” Loud explosions were heard west of Mais al-Jabal, near Markaba and in Qantara; twice in Khiam (all in the Marjayoun district); in the city of Bint Jbeil; in Beit Lif (Bint Jbeil district); and finally in Shamaa and Bayyada (Sour district), according to our correspondent.
The municipality of Bint Jbeil, the main city in the border area, condemned the Israeli demolitions in a statement, describing them as “domicide,” “urbicide,” and “ecocide.” It called on the Lebanese state “to fully assume its national responsibilities and act urgently through diplomatic and legal channels to document these crimes and bring them before the competent international bodies.” Israel has largely destroyed the city, which is seen as a symbol for Hezbollah of its confrontations with Israel.
Later in the day, the municipalities of Mais al-Jabal (Marjayoun) and Rshaf (Bint Jbeil) also denounced "systematic destruction operations" carried out by Israel in their localities.
The Israeli army also stated that it had “eliminated” two people it described as “terrorists” who had crossed the de facto buffer zone boundary in southern Lebanon and were approaching soldiers operating in the area, near the Slouki Valley.
On Tuesday, a fighter jet strike — the first of its kind since the cease-fire began — targeted the Wadi Houjeir valley, but not the Slouki Valley. No casualties were reported.
Meanwhile, another body was recovered from the rubble of buildings bombed in Sour, three minutes before the cease-fire came into effect during the night of April 16. The death toll has risen to nearly thirty, with one person still missing and several dozen injured, according to the Sour municipality.
Hezbollah attacks in Bayyada, Qantara and Mansouri
Hezbollah, for its part, claimed a strike on Wednesday at 11 a.m. involving a kamikaze drone against an “artillery position recently established” by the Israeli army in Bayyada, on the coast south of Sour. The group said that “flames were observed” at the targeted site.
In the evening, Hezbollah said it carried out three further attacks against the Israeli army in southern Lebanon, claiming that at 6 p.m. it struck, with a drone, a group of Israeli soldiers and a Humvee-type vehicle in Qantara, in the Marjayoun district. The group said both attacks were in response to “the strikes that targeted a vehicle in Tiri and Yohmor al-Shaqif.” Hezbollah also claimed to have shot down four Israeli reconnaissance drones in Mansouri, in the Sour district.
According to the Israeli army, Hezbollah launched a drone toward its forces operating south of the “advanced defense line,” referring to the contours of the buffer zone Israel is seeking to impose in southern Lebanon. In a post on X, the army’s Arabic-language spokesperson Ella Waweya said “the drone was intercepted by the air force and did not enter Israeli territory,” adding that “the alert sirens were not activated, in line with current policy.” She described the incident as a “blatant violation of the cease-fire agreement.”
Start your mornings with The Morning Brief, our flagship newsletter that brings you the latest from Lebanon and the region.
Enjoy 7 days of free access when you create your account.
Email Address
Password
I would like to receive special offers from L'Orient Today as well as selections of the best articles.
By creating an account, you agree to the terms and conditions of use and our privacy policy.
Or register with:
Already have an account? Login here
Log in to your account to see the results of the polls
E-mail Password
Log in I forgot my password