In brief
Lebanon's Prime Minister has accused Israel of war crimes after the recent killing of journalist Amal Khalil during an airstrike in southern Lebanon. The incident also injured fellow journalist Zeinab Faraj, with official statements alleging that both were deliberately targeted while seeking shelter. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) denied these claims, stating that they do not intentionally target journalists and that they were responding to a threat. The situation raises significant concerns regarding the safety of media personnel in conflict zones.
Lebanon's prime minister has accused Israel of war crimes after Israeli airstrikes killed one journalist and wounded another in southern Lebanon on Wednesday. Amal Khalil and Zeinab Faraj were deliberately targeted as they sought shelter in a home after an initial airstrike hit the vehicle in front of them, killing two men, Lebanese officials say. The officials also accused the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) of intentionally targeting a marked ambulance as it tried to reach the journalists in the village of Tayri. The IDF denied that it was preventing rescue teams from reaching the area and said it did not target journalists.Journalists Khalil, 43, who worked for Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, and Faraj, a freelance photographer, were travelling together. The two men who died have not been named by officials. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said: Targeting journalists, obstructing access to them by relief teams, and even targeting their locations again after these teams arrive constitutes described war crimes. He accused Israel of repeatedly targeting media workers in southern Lebanon in what he described as an established approach.Amal Khalil was known for her humanitarian and professional dedication. In a distressing account, Lebanese officials stated that after the airstrike, when a Lebanese Red Cross ambulance arrived to treat the wounded, Israeli forces directed a stun grenade and gunfire toward it, preventing it from reaching them, which the health ministry described as a blatant violation of humanitarian law.The IDF maintained that it struck a vehicle they identified as having left a military structure used by Hezbollah and did not acknowledge Khalil's death. The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) expressed outrage over Khalil's death, stating that the repeated targeting of journalists is a grave breach of international humanitarian law.The ongoing conflict has seen significant casualties, with over 2,475 reported dead and many wounded in Lebanon due to Israeli attacks since hostilities reignited. Prime Minister Salam has stressed that Lebanon will pursue accountability for such actions in international forums.
