“Blatant war crime”: Israel assassinates journalist Amal Khalil in Lebanon

Widespread outrage has followed the killing of journalist Amal Khalil, with media professionals, rights groups, and officials condemning the incident as part of what they describe as a broader pattern of attacks on journalists in Lebanon.

Khalil, 43, who worked for Al-Akhbar, was reporting alongside freelance photographer Zeinab Faraj in the southern town of at-Tiri when an Israeli strike reportedly hit a vehicle nearby. Reports indicated that Khalil initially sought shelter in a house and managed to share her location with officials, prompting rescue efforts.

According to local accounts, responders were able to retrieve two bodies and rescue Faraj, who had been injured, Maktoob Media reported.

However, they reportedly came under fire before they could reach Khalil. It was further reported that the Israeli military later struck the house where Khalil had taken refuge, after which contact with her was lost. Hours later, civil defence teams recovered her body from the rubble.

Lebanese authorities stated that Khalil had been killed in what they described as a hostile airstrike targeting a residential building in at-Tiri.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the incident, saying that the targeting of Khalil and the obstruction of rescue efforts amounted to a blatant war crime. 

“Israel’s targeting of media professionals in the South while they are performing their professional duties can no longer be viewed as a series of isolated incidents. Rather, it has become a proven pattern – one that we condemn and reject, just as it is condemned and rejected by all international laws and norms,” Salam said on X.

 “Lebanon will spare no effort in pursuing these crimes before the relevant international tribunals.”

Officials also pointed to earlier threats allegedly received by Khalil during the 2024 conflict, suggesting that she had been warned to stop her reporting.

Lebanon’s Minister of Information Paul Morcos described the targeting of journalists as a serious violation, calling the strike a clear breach of international humanitarian law and stressing that the matter would not be ignored.

Lebanon’s Press Club said Khalil had lost her life while pursuing her work, characterising the incident as part of a deliberate campaign against media workers.

The Committee to Protect Journalists also expressed outrage, stating that the apparent targeting of Khalil and Faraj, along with the reported obstruction of rescue operations, could constitute a war crime.