Amal Khalil, Lebanese journalist, killed in Israeli strike on house; Lebanon's PM accuses Israel of war crimes after attack

Amal Khalil, a 43-year-old journalist for Al-Akhbar, was fatally wounded in an Israeli drone strike during the ongoing conflict with Hezbollah while she sought refuge in a house in al-Tiri. Earlier this year, Khalil reported receiving death threats from an 'Israeli enemy,' urging her to flee southern Lebanon due to heightened risks.

After the strike, Khalil's body was not retrieved for nearly six hours as Israeli forces allegedly obstructed rescue attempts by medics, using stun grenades to prevent access. According to Lebanon's National News Agency, both Khalil and her colleague were trapped beneath rubble in the building, and rescuers faced significant danger in reaching them.

In response to her death, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the action, labeling it a war crime that reflects a systematic pattern of targeting media personnel. He stated, 'Targeting journalists and obstructing the access of rescue teams to them … constitute war crimes.'

Her death marks the ninth journalist killed in Lebanon in 2024 amidst escalating violence, which has taken at least 2,300 lives across the region and displaced over 1 million people since armed conflict reignited on March 2. Khalil had previously expressed fears for her safety, foreseeing attacks on media workers as part of Israel's strategy in the conflict.

Amal Khalil, a Lebanese journalist for Al-Akhbar, was killed in an Israeli drone strike on Wednesday while covering the ongoing Israel-Hezbollah conflict. Lebanon's Prime Minister accused Israel of war crimes, citing obstructed rescue efforts and the growing number of journalist fatalities in the region this year.