Israeli airstrikes kill Journalist in Lebanon, Hezbollah targets Israeli artillery site

Journalist Amal Khalil was killed on Wednesday after being trapped under rubble following Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon, reported Xinhua, quoting Lebanese broadcaster Al-Jadeed TV.

The strike targeted the road linking al-Tiri and Haddatha, blocking rescue access to Khalil and journalist Zeinab Faraj. Faraj was later evacuated to a hospital, where she underwent surgery.

The Lebanese Red Cross later retrieved Khalil's body, confirming her death.

Earlier on Wednesday, Lebanese sources said two journalists were stranded following Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon despite an ongoing ceasefire.

According to Lebanon's official National News Agency and a widely-circulated appeal by journalists on social media, an Israeli airstrike hit the main road linking al-Tiri and Haddatha, apparently to block ambulance access, while Israeli forces barred both the Lebanese Red Cross and the Lebanese army from reaching them.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah said Wednesday it launched a drone strike targeting a newly established Israeli artillery position in the town of al-Bayada in southern Lebanon, in response to what it described as continued Israeli ceasefire violations.

In a statement, the group said the strike took place at 11 a.m. local time (0800 GMT), targeting an Israeli military site it said had been used to shell villages in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah said the drone hit a fire control facility at the site and caused a fire in one of the rooms.

The Israeli military said a drone launched from Lebanon was intercepted before entering Israeli territory. Military spokesperson Ella Waweya said it targeted forces operating south of the border area but was shot down and did not trigger air raid sirens. She called the incident a "blatant violation" of the ceasefire agreement.

The exchanges came despite a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon that took effect April 16, following a U.S.-announced agreement aimed at halting weeks of escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.

Israeli and Lebanese officials held talks in Washington on April 14. A second round of discussions is scheduled for Thursday.

Israeli army says killed 2 militants in S. Lebanon amid ceasefire

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Wednesday that it killed two Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon.

It said that the two militants violated the ceasefire agreement by crossing the upper line of the security strip controlled by Israel in southern Lebanon on Tuesday in the area of the Saluki stream, and approaching the soldiers, posing an immediate threat.

Following the identification, the Israeli air force struck and eliminated the militants, the IDF said.

It added that IDF soldiers continued to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure to remove threats and find weapons.

A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon came into force at midnight local time on April 16.

Since then, however, Israeli forces have carried out multiple strikes targeting Hezbollah fighters and infrastructure, saying the operations are intended to prevent threats to their troops.