Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed at least four people and wounded several others, including two journalists who were reportedly besieged in the village of at-Tiri. Lebanese authorities and local media say rescue teams were prevented from reaching the wounded; Israel denies blocking aid and says it targeted vehicles linked to Hezbollah. The violence comes as Washington prepares talks over a US‑mediated ceasefire that is due to expire, and follows other deadly incidents that have heightened regional tensions.
Israeli Strikes Kill At Least Four in Southern Lebanon; Journalists Wounded and Reportedly Besieged
A displaced woman stands outside her home after returning to her hometown of Hannawiyeh in southern Lebanon on April 18, 2026 [File: AFP]
Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon have killed at least four people and wounded several others, including journalists, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported, further straining a fragile ceasefire.
An Israeli strike hit a car in the village of at-Tiri on Wednesday, killing two people inside, the NNA said. The agency later reported that a separate air attack on the same village wounded several people, among them journalists.
Israel’s military said it struck two vehicles in southern Lebanon that had departed from a structure it described as being used by the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah. The military also denied that it targets journalists and said it seeks to mitigate harm to civilians.
Journalists Besieged
Reporting from Tyre, Al Jazeera’s Heidi Pett said two reporters from local outlet Al Akhbar, Amal Khalil and Zeinab Faraj, travelled to the site of the first strike in at-Tiri. Pett said rescue teams, including the Red Cross, were unable to reach them for several hours because of continuing attacks in the area.
“Amal Khalil and Zeinab Faraj had gone to the site of an earlier Israeli drone strike on a car, which reportedly killed two civilians in the town of at-Tiri,” Pett reported. “For several hours, the Red Cross and rescue teams tried to reach the two journalists but were unable to do so because of continued attacks in the area.”
Faraj was taken to a local hospital and was reported to be in very serious condition and likely to require surgery. Khalil’s whereabouts were initially unknown. NNA said Israeli forces were preventing the Red Cross and the Lebanese army from reaching the journalists and that a strike hit the main road linking at-Tiri with nearby Haddatha, which the agency described as intended to block ambulances.
Lebanon’s Information Minister, Paul Morcos, said the government had contacted the UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the Lebanese army about reports that journalists were being besieged. “We strongly condemn this assault, hold Israel fully responsible for their safety, and call for immediate protection and guarantee of press freedom,” he wrote on X.
Other Incidents and Context
Separately, NNA reported that an Israeli attack on the town of Yahmar al-Shaqif killed two people and wounded several others. Hezbollah said it struck an Israeli artillery position in southern Lebanon with a drone in response to what it described as an Israeli violation of the ceasefire. Israel said it intercepted a hostile aircraft launched toward Israeli soldiers.
Hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel have escalated in recent months following a series of violent incidents and strikes involving Iranian‑linked actors and other parties, despite a November 2024 ceasefire that had largely held until early March. More than 2,400 people have been killed in Lebanon since the current round of fighting began and Israeli forces have seized a belt of territory along the border.
The renewed violence comes on the eve of planned talks in Washington between Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors. Lebanon’s president, Michel Aoun, said Beirut would seek an extension of the 10‑day, US‑mediated ceasefire, which is due to expire on Sunday.
Separately, French President Emmanuel Macron said a second French peacekeeper, Chief Corporal Anicet Girardin, has died after being wounded in an attack on UN personnel in Lebanon last week. UNIFIL said initial assessments pointed to fire from non‑state actors, allegedly Hezbollah; the group denied involvement.
Attribution and Verification
This article relies on reporting from Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA), Al Jazeera, official statements from the Israeli military, and comments from Lebanese and international officials. Where accounts differ, this report attributes claims to the reporting source and to the parties making the statements.
Help us improve.
