Photo by
Yosi Zeliger/TPS-IL on 19 March, 2026
Correspondent Hurt Despite Israeli Warnings on Lebanese Bridges
Jerusalem, 19 March, 2026 (TPS-IL) -- As footage of a Russia Today correspondent being injured in an airstrike while on air circulated on social media on Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces stressed it had warned Lebanese civilians to stay away from bridges crossing the Litani River.
During a live broadcast at the “Qasmiya” crossing, a missile struck behind RT correspondent Steve Sweeney, sending him and his cameraman flying. Later in the day, RT tweeted a video of Sweeney in a hospital with the message, “Wounded RT correspondent Steve Sweeney gets shrapnel removed following Israeli strike.”
Sweeney, a British national, is RT’s Lebanon bureau chief.
RT said the camera operater was also injured. Russia’s TASS news service identified him as Ali Rida.
In response, the IDF said, without mentioning Sweeney by name, that it had warned civilians.
“In recent days, the IDF has targeted Litani River crossings that Hezbollah used both for terrorist movement and to transfer thousands of weapons, including rockets and rocket launchers intended to be used against IDF troops and Israeli civilians in terrorist attacks,” the IDF said. “Prior to the strikes, in order to reduce harm to civilians, warnings were published to ensure that they distance themselves from the crossings.”
The IDF said, “An explicit warning had been issued regarding this area. The crossing was struck after sufficient time had passed since warnings. The crossing was again targeted today (Thursday) at 12:30.”
The army highlighted a link to a tweet posted by the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson, Col. Avichay Adraee, on Wednesday, calling on people to specifically avoid the bridges.
“Accordingly, and to prevent the transfer of reinforcements and combat means, the [IDF] intends to attack crossings on the Litani River starting from midday hours today,” Adraee warned. “For your safety, you must continue moving to the area north of the Zahrani River and refrain from any movement southward that may put your lives at risk.”
Hezbollah has been using the bridges to bring personnel and weapons into southern Lebanon. According to the IDF, the Iran-backed terror group also placed rocket launchers near the A-Zarriya Bridge and fired from that location.
The ceasefire of November 2024 requires Hezbollah to withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon and prohibits it from operating south of the Litani River.
