Click it and Unblock the Notifications
Lebanon journalist killed in Israeli airstrike while reporting in al-Tiri
Al-Akhbar reporter Amal Khalil was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a house in al-Tiri, southern Lebanon, where she took shelter while covering the Israel–Hezbollah conflict, rescue workers said. The Lebanese health ministry reported earlier strikes and said rescue efforts were halted after Israeli fire, while colleague Zeinab Faraj was seriously wounded.
Amal Khalil, a reporter for Lebanon’s daily Al-Akhbar, was killed on Wednesday after an Israeli airstrike hit a house in the southern village of al-Tiri. Rescue workers said Amal Khalil’s body stayed trapped under debris for hours. Amal Khalil had taken shelter there while covering the Israel-Hezbollah war.
The Lebanese health ministry said an earlier Israeli strike near a vehicle killed two people. Amal Khalil and colleague Zeinab Faraj then moved into a house in al-Tiri. A second strike hit that house, the ministry said. Zeinab Faraj was pulled out with serious injuries, while access to Amal Khalil was delayed.
Israel-Hezbollah war in Lebanon and rescue delay
The ministry said rescue teams faced gunfire from Israeli forces at the site. Crews retrieved the two bodies from the first strike. However, teams halted attempts to reach Amal Khalil, the ministry added. Later, the Lebanese army, civil defense and the Lebanese Red Cross reached the area and continued the search.
Rescue workers said Amal Khalil’s body was recovered shortly before midnight. The retrieval happened at least six hours after the strike. Amal Khalil was from southern Lebanon and had reported from the area since 2006. Recent work focused on Israeli demolitions in villages where Israeli troops are positioned inside Lebanon.
Israel-Hezbollah war ceasefire talks and official responses
Israel’s military said individuals in the village had violated the ceasefire and put troops at risk. Israel denied targeting journalists or blocking rescuers. Israel said the incident was under review. The death came before a second round of direct talks in Washington between Israeli and Lebanese officials.
"Killing of journalists is a crime and a flagrant violation of international and humanitarian law,\" said Lebanons Information Minister Paul Morcos. Reporters Without Borders earlier on Wednesday urged international pressure on the Israeli army to allow Amal Khalil’s rescue. The Committee to Protect Journalists said it was outraged and warned obstruction may amount to a war crime.
Israel-Hezbollah war journalist deaths and wider toll
Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun asked the Lebanese Red Cross to coordinate with the Lebanese army and U.N. peacekeepers. Amal Khalil’s death raised to nine the number of journalists killed in Lebanon this year. Since March 2, at least 2,300 people have been killed in Israeli strikes, and more than 1 million were displaced.
Other journalist deaths in late March were also linked to Israeli strikes in Lebanon. Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV said longtime correspondent Ali Shoeib was killed. Israel’s military said it targeted Shoeib, and accused Shoeib of being a Hezbollah intelligence operative. Israel did not provide evidence for that claim.
The same strike also killed reporter Fatima Ftouni from Al-Mayadeen TV. Fatima Ftouni’s brother, video journalist Mohammed Ftouni, died as well. Days earlier, an Israeli strike on an apartment in central Beirut killed Mohammed Sherri. Mohammed Sherri led political programmes at Hezbollahs at Al-Manar TV, and Mohammed Sherri’s wife was also killed.
With inputs from PTI
Sign in with Google