Israeli strikes on Southern Lebanon on Wednesday killed Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil and injured freelance photographer Zeinab Faraj, in an incident that has intensified concerns over the safety of media personnel operating in conflict zones.
The attack occurred amid ongoing cross-border tensions during a fragile ceasefire period between Israel and Hezbollah.
According to reports, Khalil, 43, and Faraj were covering developments near the town of al-Tayri when an Israeli strike hit a vehicle directly in front of them. In an effort to seek safety, both journalists took shelter in a nearby building, which was subsequently targeted in a second strike shortly afterwards.
Following the incident, rescue teams were deployed to the area and managed to evacuate Faraj, who sustained a serious head injury. However, access to Khalil was reportedly delayed due to continued security activity and ongoing strikes in the vicinity. Her body was later recovered from the rubble after several hours of search and recovery operations.
Lebanese health authorities and press organisations alleged that rescue efforts were significantly hindered, claiming that continued shelling and warning fire, including the use of a sound grenade, prevented immediate access to the site. Emergency teams were eventually able to return and complete recovery operations.
Lebanon’s Information Minister Paul Morcos strongly condemned the killing stating that “the killing of journalists constitutes a crime and a blatant violation of international humanitarian law.”
Khalil’s death comes at a sensitive diplomatic moment ahead of renewed direct talks between Israeli and Lebanese officials in Washington aimed at extending the ceasefire that came into effect last Friday.
A veteran reporter from southern Lebanon, Khalil had been covering the region for Al-Akhbar newspaper since 2006. Her recent reporting focused on Israeli demolitions of residential homes in border villages where Israeli forces are reportedly positioned inside Lebanese territory.
Her killing adds to a rising toll of media casualties, bringing the number of journalists killed in Lebanon this year to nine.
In late March, another Israeli airstrike on southern Lebanon killed three journalists covering the conflict. Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV confirmed that its long-serving correspondent Ali Shoeib was among those killed, while the Israeli military claimed he was affiliated with Hezbollah intelligence, without providing evidence.
In the same incident, journalist Fatima Ftouni of Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen TV was also killed, along with her brother Mohammed Ftouni, a video journalist.
Days earlier, an airstrike in central Beirut killed Mohammed Sherri, head of political programming at Al-Manar TV, along with his wife.
Overall, the ongoing conflict has resulted in significant human loss, with reports indicating that more than 2,300 people have been killed in Israeli strikes and over one million displaced since the escalation of hostilities began on March 2.
The Israeli military stated that it had identified vehicles entering what it described as a sensitive operational zone near its forces. It claimed one of the vehicles was struck after being assessed as a potential threat, followed by a strike on a nearby structure. The military denied deliberately targeting journalists and said reports regarding interference with rescue operations were under review.
Officials further stated that the vehicles had crossed a designated forward operational line in southern Lebanon and were operating in an area associated with Hezbollah activity, reiterating that journalists are not intentionally targeted.
The incident has further escalated concerns over press safety in active conflict zones, as tensions along the Israel–Lebanon border continue to intensify.
