Israel deliberately hit Lebanese journos, obstructed rescue in calculated war crime: Investigation

A joint investigation has concluded that the Israeli military deliberately targeted and killed Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil in southern Lebanon, subsequently orchestrating a hours-long obstruction of rescue efforts that cost her life.

The findings, compiled by Lebanese legal organization Legal Agenda alongside international monitors Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, expose a calculated pattern of targeting civilians and weaponizing bureaucratic "deconfliction" mechanisms to prevent life-saving medical access.

The investigation centers on the events of April 22, 2026, in the village of al-Tiri, located in southern Lebanon’s Israeli-occupied "security zone."

Khalil, a 42-year-old reporter for al-Akhbar newspaper, and 21-year-old freelance photojournalist Zeinab Faraj, were in the area to verify reports of Israeli troop movements.

According to the timeline established by the investigators, the Israeli military first struck a vehicle carrying two local municipal officials at 2:25 PM.

After the journalists called the Lebanese civil defense for help, rescue crews were forced to wait at a military checkpoint for hours, awaiting approval from the Israeli military’s so-called "deconfliction mechanism."

While waiting, Israeli quadcopters circled dangerously low over the journalists, who were forced to abandon their vehicle and seek shelter in a nearby building.

At 3:40 PM, an Israeli strike hit their car, severely injuring both women. Despite their desperate calls for help, rescue crews were repeatedly denied entry.

At 4:25 PM, the Israeli military launched a third strike, bombing the very building where the injured journalists were sheltering, burying them under rubble.

Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil deliberately killed in Israeli airstrike, body found in rubble

Lebanese Civil Defense confirms the death of Amal Khalil, a journalist with the country

It was not until 5:00 PM that the Lebanese Red Cross was finally granted permission to enter. As rescuers attempted to evacuate Faraj, they came under direct attack as an Israeli quadcopter dropped a stun grenade near the ambulance, and witnesses reported small arms fire directed at the medical vehicle, forcing the crew to withdraw with only Faraj, who suffered a fractured skull and severe injuries.

The Israeli military did not grant final approval for rescue crews to re-enter the town until 8:15 PM.

Khalil’s body was recovered at 11:00 PM. Medical examinations at a nearby hospital concluded that she had likely died around 7:00 PM, meaning she was left trapped under the rubble for two and a half hours while the occupying forces deliberately blocked her rescue.

The report highlights that this incident is not an anomaly, but part of a broader, systemic pattern of impunity. By deliberately striking journalists and then weaponizing rescue protocols, the Israeli military has created an environment where civilian life is systematically devalued and independent coverage of the occupation is violently suppressed.

Legal Agenda and its partner organizations have called for immediate, independent accountability for the killing of Khalil, stressing that the international community must move beyond hollow condemnations and impose tangible consequences on those responsible for these blatant violations of international humanitarian law.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.ir