Vehicle struck near journalists in Tiri, Israeli army blocks access to rescue teams

BEIRUT — A strike in Tiri (Bint Jbeil) targeted a vehicle near journalists on Wednesday, according to our correspondent in the south. The attack killed two people in the vehicle. Emergency teams and the Lebanese Army rushed to the scene to provide assistance.

The Israeli army is preventing ambulances from reaching Tiri, hindering relief efforts and emergency response in the area, our correspondent reported. Two journalists remain stranded inside the town after being unable to leave due to the security situation. They are awaiting evacuation by the Red Cross. The journalists, Amal Khalil, from al-Akhbar newspaper, and Zeinab Faraj, are safe, though their car was damaged. The Lebanese Army and the Red Cross are attempting to reach them, but access is being blocked by the Israeli army.

Initial reports suggested that journalists and civilians nearby were unharmed, although occupants of a neighboring vehicle were injured. The exact nature of the strike, whether artillery fire or a drone attack, remains unconfirmed.

On March 28, an Israeli attack on a clearly marked press vehicle killed Fatima Ftouni and her brother and colleague, Mohammed, as well as al-Manar’s Ali Shoueib, on the Jezzine Road.

The “yellow line” in south Lebanon is an Israeli-established military buffer zone, approximately 5–10 kilometers from the border, intended as an enforced barrier to control territory and dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure. It functions as a forward defense line, restricting movement in 55 Lebanese villages, including Tiri, despite a recent 10-day cease-fire.

Contacts are being made with the Minister of Information, the Minister of Interior, the Governor of the South, UNIFIL, and the Lebanese Army to lift the blockade on the two journalists. Appeals have also been made by their colleagues and local residents to help secure their rescue.

Reporting contributed by Muntasser Abdallah.