Israeli strikes in south Lebanon kill 5, including journalist as ceasefire frays

At least five people, including a journalist, were killed in a series of Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA), in an escalation that threatens to unravel a fragile ceasefire.

An initial strike targeted a car in the village of at-Tiri, killing two occupants. The Israeli military said it had hit two vehicles that had departed from a Hezbollah-linked military site.

Hours later, a second air raid struck a building in the same village where journalists had taken shelter. Amal Khalil, a reporter with local outlet Al Akhbar, was trapped under rubble and later pronounced dead. Another journalist, Zeinab Faraj, was critically injured and required surgery after being rescued.

According to the Al Jazeera, the two journalists had gone to cover the aftermath of the earlier strike when they were caught in the subsequent attack. Rescue operations were delayed for hours amid continued bombardment, with reports that a nearby road was also hit, hindering ambulance access.

Lebanon’s health ministry accused Israel of deliberately targeting the journalists and obstructing rescue efforts. Information minister Paul Morcos condemned the attack, holding Israel responsible and calling for immediate guarantees for journalists’ safety.

Israel’s military denied targeting journalists or blocking emergency services, stating it takes measures to minimise harm to civilians.

In a separate incident the same day, two more people were killed and several injured in an Israeli strike on the town of Yohmor al-Shaqif.

Hezbollah said it retaliated by launching a drone at an Israeli artillery position, which the Israeli military said it intercepted.

The latest violence comes ahead of planned talks in Washington between Lebanese and Israeli representatives, with Beirut seeking an extension of the US-mediated ceasefire set to expire Sunday.

Tensions have surged since early March, with more than 2,400 people reported killed in Lebanon since Israel intensified its offensive and expanded operations in the south.

Meanwhile, French president Emmanuel Macron confirmed the death of a second French UN peacekeeper wounded in an attack last week, which Paris has blamed on Hezbollah. The group has denied involvement.