The Ministry of Public Health’s Emergency Operations Center issued a statement saying that two Israeli airstrikes on the town of Tayri in the Bint Jbeil district resulted in two deaths and one injured person, while efforts are still ongoing to rescue journalist Amal Khalil.

It added that the Israeli side had pursued Khalil and her colleague Zainab Faraj, who had taken shelter from the first strike in a nearby house, and later targeted the building where they had sought refuge.

According to the statement, when the Lebanese Red Cross arrived to evacuate the wounded, it was prevented from completing its mission. An explosive sound device was reportedly thrown at the ambulance and it was also fired upon, preventing the extraction of Khalil, while Faraj was transferred to hospital along with the bodies of the two killed.

The ministry condemned what it described as repeated unacceptable practices by Israel, calling it a double violation: obstructing rescue efforts for a civilian journalist known for her media work, and targeting an ambulance clearly marked with the Red Cross emblem.

It expressed hope that ongoing efforts to rescue Khalil would succeed and urged international and UN bodies to put an end to what it described as inhumane violations by Israel, saying they will ultimately be held accountable sooner or later.