Israeli strike kills Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil in southern Lebanon

Death of Al Akhbar journalist raises Lebanon death toll to 2,454 since start of Israeli attacks.

An Israeli air strike killed Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil and wounded freelance photographer Zeinab Faraj on Wednesday in the southern Lebanese village of al-Tayri, according to Lebanon's health ministry and press advocates³⁴. The attack marked the deadliest day since a 10-day ceasefire was announced on April 16 to halt hostilities between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, with five people killed in total²³.

Khalil, 43, and Faraj were covering an earlier Israeli strike on a vehicle near al-Tayri when the vehicle in front of them was hit³⁴. The two journalists fled into a nearby house, which was then targeted by a second Israeli strike, according to Lebanon's health ministry, a senior Lebanese military official, and press advocates³. Khalil last contacted her family and the Lebanese military at approximately 4:10pm local time⁴.

Rescue workers retrieved Faraj, who suffered a head wound, but when they returned to help Khalil, the Israeli military dropped a sound grenade and fired live ammunition, blocking access to the damaged building, according to Elsy Moufarrej of the Union of Journalists in Lebanon, the senior military official, and the health ministry³⁴. Khalil's body was recovered shortly before midnight⁴.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the targeting of journalists and obstruction of relief efforts constituted "war crimes"³. "Lebanon will spare no effort in pursuing these crimes before the relevant international bodies," he wrote on X³. The Israeli military said it had received reports that two journalists were injured as a result of its strikes but did not immediately comment on Khalil's death³.

Lebanon's disaster management unit has raised the death toll from weeks of Israeli attacks to 2,454, with 7,658 people injured¹.