BEIRUT, Lebanon, Oct 25, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Lebanese state media said Friday
that separate Israeli air strikes killed three journalists in eastern Lebanon
and flattened buildings in southern suburbs of Beirut.

"Our correspondent in Zahle reported the death of three journalists in an
Israeli raid on Hasbaya," Lebanon's official National News Agency (NNA) said,
adding that Israeli military planes struck at 3:30 am (0030 GMT) near the
Syrian border.

Local media reported that the air raid hit a hotel in Hasbaya, around 50
kilometres south of the Lebanese capital.

Separately, in Beirut's southern Choueifat Al-Amrousieh area, Israeli
warplanes "destroyed two buildings and ignited a large fire, and black smoke
covered the area," according to NNA.

"The raid that targeted the Saint Therese area also caused the collapse of
two buildings near the Constitutional Council."

The NNA report of the strikes on Beirut's south on Thursday came about half
an hour after Israel issued evacuation warnings for the Hezbollah bastion
following intense assaults the night before.

"You are located near facilities and sites belonging to Hezbollah, which the
Israeli Defense Forces will be targeting in the near future," said the
Israeli army's Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee in a post on X that
included maps of the locations.

AFPTV footage showed plumes of smoke rising from Beirut's south following the
strikes and AFP correspondents in the capital heard loud bangs.

"Israeli warplanes launched a new strike a short while ago on the Choueifat"
area of south Beirut, NNA said, adding later that Haret Hreik and Hadath were
also targeted.

On Wednesday evening, Israeli strikes levelled six buildings in south Beirut,
state media and AFP footage showed, with Israel's army saying it had hit
Hezbollah weapons production facilities "under and inside civilian
buildings".

On September 23, Israel launched an intense air campaign in Lebanon and later
announced ground incursions, following a year of limited cross-border clashes
with Iran-backed Hezbollah over the Gaza war.

Since then, Israeli strikes in Lebanon have killed at least 1,580 people,
according to an AFP tally of Lebanese health ministry figures, though the
real number is likely to be higher due to gaps in the data.

The Committee to Protect Journalists has documented at least 128 journalists
and media workers killed in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel and Lebanon since the
Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023.