Media rights groups condemn killing of Amal Khalil, who said in 2024 she had been threatened by ‘an Israeli enemy’

The Lebanese journalist killed in an Israeli attack on Wednesday had previously spoken of receiving a threat via an unidentified Israeli phone number that she would be killed if she did not leave southern Lebanon, where she had long been based and worked.

Amal Khalil, 43, who worked for al-Akhbar newspaper and had described herself as supporting the resistance against Israel “whether communist or Islamist”, was killed in a sustained attack by Israeli forces in which a colleague was also wounded.

Rescuers attempting to dig her out of the rubble of a building were also targeted and prevented from providing life-saving assistance.

Khalil was the ninth journalist killed in Lebanon this year. Last month three journalists were killed in a double-tap attack.

Meanwhile, an investigation by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz has found that Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon have been involved in widespread looting.

  • perestroika@slrpnk.netEnglish
    7·
    17 hours ago

    This will almost certainly go onto Netanyahu’s list of charges at the ICC.

    As further details of the killing emerged on Thursday, it became clear that the group Khalil was with had come under sustained attack over several hours – and that Israeli forces had apparently been aware of their identities.

    Adding to the sense of horror was the fact that Khalil was trapped for hours in a house that had been bombed by Israeli forces. She died despite frantic efforts by her family, her editors and Aoun to organise a rescue.

    According to her employer and the Lebanese health ministry, Khalil was working near the village of al-Tiri when a vehicle she was driving behind was hit by an Israeli airstrike, killing two people and wounding her and her colleague Zeinab Faraj, a freelance photographer.