A journalist was killed and another wounded in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, prompting a tenuous ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.
Lebanon’s Public Health Ministry said Israeli forces had targeted journalists in the city of Tire where they were sheltering in a nearby house after an airstrike hit a vehicle in front of the car they were traveling in. About an hour and a half later, a second attack hit the house they were hiding in, killing the journalist, according to a statement by the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar.
The Lebanese Red Cross said its teams came under fire while trying to evacuate the journalists from the house, forcing them to retreat. The Lebanese Health Ministry said rescuers were targeted by warning attacks and machine-gun fire.
Photojournalist Zainab Faraz was rescued from her home. Another journalist, Amal Khalil, a reporter for Al-Akhbar, was trapped under the debris for hours before emergency medics recovered his body, according to the Lebanese Civil Defense.
The Lebanese Health Ministry said that in addition to Ms. Khalil, two other people were killed in the attacks.
Amid a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, Israel continues to attack Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, citing its right to self-defense. Iran-backed militia group Hezbollah said it fired rockets and drones at Israel on Tuesday in response to ceasefire violations. Earlier on Wednesday, Lebanese News Agency informed One person was killed and two others were injured in an Israeli drone strike in another part of the country.
The Lebanese Health Ministry described the attacks in Tayari as a “gross double violation, including hindering rescue efforts for a civilian known for his media and humanitarian work, and directly targeting an ambulance clearly marked with the Red Cross.”
The Israeli military denied in a statement that it had prevented rescue workers from reaching injured journalists, and said the incident was being investigated.
Israeli army spokeswoman Said Israeli forces saw two vehicles leaving a military building used by Hezbollah. The army observed vehicles crossing what the spokesman said was the forward defense line, suggesting the move was a violation of the ceasefire agreement.
The spokesman confirmed that Israeli forces had attacked a vehicle and the building in which some occupants of another vehicle had taken shelter.
Founded in 2006, Al-Akhbar is a popular Lebanese newspaper that supports left-wing issues, supporting Hezbollah’s fight against Israel. The newspaper has close ties to Hezbollah, working under its protection and providing access to high-ranking officials for interviews.
“Like every act of aggression, wearing a press vest does not protect its wearers from the betrayal of the Israeli enemy,” Al-Akhbar said in a statement. “Instead, it has become a threat to the lives of journalists, as part of a systematic Israeli policy aimed at silencing anyone who seeks to expose the crimes and practices of the occupation.”
under force statement On social media, Lebanon’s Prime Minister, Nawaf Salaam, accused Israeli forces of war crimes for targeting journalists and hindering access to medical aid. He said Israeli forces have been targeting journalists in southern Lebanon for a long time and Lebanon will take legal action at the International Criminal Court.
The Committee to Protect Journalists said it was outraged by the attack and expressed grave concern about deliberate targeting.
“Repeated attacks on the same location, targeting an area where journalists were sheltering, and hindering medical and humanitarian access constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law,” said Sarah Cudahy, CPJ’s regional director for the Middle East and North Africa.
