The International Press Institute (IPI) condemns the killing of Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil, who was targeted by a “double tap” Israeli strike while sheltering in a house, as an apparent war crime. IPI demands immediate action to hold Israel accountable for Khalil’s killing, and the killings of all journalists targeted by Israel.
On April 22, Khalil, who has reported for Al-Akhbar since 2006, was on assignment with her colleague Zeinab Faraj near the southern Lebanon village of al-Tiri when the vehicle ahead of the journalists was hit by Israeli fire. Shortly after the journalists took cover in a nearby house, Israel struck the house, critically injuring Faraj and trapping Khalil under the rubble.
Khalil was reportedly trapped inside the house for more than seven hours, as members of the Lebanese Red Cross were blocked from rescuing her due to ongoing Israeli fire. Rescuers were able to reach Faraj, who was transported by ambulance with a critical head injury. As the ambulance arrived at the scene, Israeli forces shot directly at the vehicle.
According to several Lebanese officials, when the Red Cross returned to attempt to rescue Khalil, Israeli forces fired on them and deployed a sound grenade, preventing access to the house where Khalil was trapped. It was not until much later in the day that the Red Cross, the Lebanese army, and civil defense were able to recover her body from the rubble.
The deliberate targeting of journalists, as civilians, and the obstruction of humanitarian assistance are considered war crimes under international humanitarian law.
In a statement released after Khalil’s killing, the Union of Journalists in Lebanon reported that the journalist had received several text-messaged threats “from an Israeli security number” in August and September 2024. One of the texts reportedly read: “Is your house still standing, Miss Amal? We suggest you flee anywhere if you want to stay connected to your head.”
The Israeli military has not commented on Khalil’s killing. Lebanon’s prime minister Nawaf Salam condemned the targeting of journalists and obstruction of humanitarian rescue efforts as a war crime, and said Lebanon “will spare no effort in pursuing these crimes before the competent international forums.”
The attack on Khalil and Faraj comes amid an ongoing ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. It also comes just weeks after a targeted Israeli strike killed three Lebanese journalists as they were travelling in a clearly marked press vehicle on assignment in the south Lebanon town of Jezzine last month.
Following that attack, the Israeli military acknowledged it had targeted Shoeib, claiming he was a Hezbollah operative, but did not present any evidence of the allegations apart from a social media image of Shoeib wearing a military uniform – Israel later admitted the image was photoshopped.