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International human rights organizations have condemned Israel for the killing of Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil, characterizing the incident as a potential war crime. Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and Lebanese rights group The Legal Agenda released separate investigations on Thursday concluding that the attack on April 22 in southern Lebanon violated international humanitarian law. Khalil, a reporter for the newspaper al-Akhbar, was killed when Israeli forces struck a building where she had taken shelter with photojournalist Zainab Faraj, who was critically injured in the same attack.
According to the human rights groups’ findings, evidence suggests Israeli forces deliberately targeted the journalists despite knowing their civilian status. The organizations noted that Israeli drones monitored the women’s movements and location throughout the incident. Human Rights Watch’s investigation revealed that the Israeli military ignored a request relayed through the United Nations to evacuate the journalists before the strike occurred, indicating potential knowledge of their presence at the targeted site.
The rights groups also documented allegations that Israeli forces obstructed rescue operations following the attack. According to witness accounts and photographs cited in the reports, Israeli personnel fired a stun grenade that forced Lebanese Red Cross workers to retreat, and small arms fire appeared to strike a responding ambulance. The Israeli military denied these claims, stating it had conducted preliminary reviews of the incident and implemented corrective measures.
Khalil’s death adds to a troubling pattern of journalist fatalities linked to Israeli operations. In 2025 alone, Israel was responsible for killing more than two-thirds of journalists worldwide, according to tracking by the Committee to Protect Journalists.
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Originally reported by Aljazeera →
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