Israel kills 2 journalists, 2 civilians in south Lebanon, Hezbollah retaliates

Two civilians and two journalists were Killed Tuesday in south Lebanon by Israeli bombardment.

Al-Mayadeen reporter and videographer Farah Omar, 25 years old, and Rabih al-Maamari, a father of two, have been killed as Israel targeted a group of journalists between Tayr Harfa and al-Jebbayn.

Hezbollah in response attacked with two missiles an Israeli intelligence unit inside a home in the Manara settlement facing the Lebanese border town of Mays al-Jabal. The group confirmed in a statement that the attack has caused deaths and injuries.

Hezbollah said the Manara attack was a preliminary response, after its media dept. vowed that the attack “will not go without a response” from Hezbollah.

Hezbollah later announced shelling a military factory in Israel's Shlomi, a military barracks in Beit Hillel and a gathering of troops in Avivim in response to a recent attack on an aluminum factory in Nabatieh and the journalists and civilians in the South.

Hussein Akil, a civilian from the village who guided the journalists, was also killed in the bombardement. Al-Mayadeen director Ghassan bin Jiddo said Akil was a "contributor" to the channel.

"It was a direct attack, it was not by chance," Bin Jiddo said, holding back his tears in a live broadcast. They join "the martyrs of Gaza,” he said.

Last week, the Israeli government blocked Al-Mayadeen TV news channel from broadcasting in Israel.

An elderly woman, Laiqa Sarhan, 80, was also killed Tuesday and her granddaughter was wounded in an Israeli airstrike on their house in Kfarkela in southern Lebanon.

A source in the area's Marjayoun hospital, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media, said the seven-year-old granddaughter was in a serious condition.

An Israeli drone also bombed an SUV car on a road between Shaaitiyeh and al-Qlayleh near Tyre, killing four Hamas militants who were inside it.

At least 95 people have been killed on the Lebanese side, according to an AFP tally, most of them Hezbollah combatants but including at least 14 civilians, three of them journalists.

On October 13, Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah was killed and six other journalists from AFP, Al Jazeera and Reuters wounded while covering the cross-border fire.

Lebanese authorities have accused Israel of being responsible. The Israeli army has said it is looking into the circumstances.

Earlier on Tuesday, Hezbollah targeted Israeli troops in Metulla in northern Israel with three anti-tank missiles. The house where Israeli soldiers were gathered in Metulla suffered a "direct hit", Hezbollah said.

The Israel-Lebanon border has seen daily exchanges of fire since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7.

Hezbollah also attacked several Israeli posts -- including the Hadb al-Bustan, Jal al-Alam, Jal al-Dayr and al-Raheb posts -- and a group of Israeli soldiers in the Malkia post. Hezbollah later attacked an Israeli tank near Netu'a.

The group said all attacks were "direct hits".

Israeli fighter jets and artillery struck in response several border towns in south Lebanon including Aita al-Shaab, Tayr Harfa, al-Naqoura, Halta, al-Jebbayn, Shihine, Majdalzoun, Rmeish, Yaroune, Rob tlatine, al-Khiam, Kfarkela, al-Wazzani and Beit Leef.

Deadly skirmishes on Israel's northern border began on October 7 when Gaza-based Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking about 240 hostage, according to Israeli officials.

Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas, and its subsequent military campaign on Gaza has killed more than 13,000 people, mostly civilians.

Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said this month that his group, a Hamas ally, was using new weapons against Israel, including Burkan missiles, adding that they could carry "a payload of 300-500 kilogrammes".

The group has also been using attack drones for the first time and has flown reconnaissance drones deep into Israel, Nasrallah said.

Six soldiers and three civilians have been killed on the Israeli side, according to authorities there.