Rights groups call Israel’s killing of journalist Amal Khalil a ‘war crime’

What the report says

Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Lebanese rights group The Legal Agenda say Israel’s killing of Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil and the wounding of photojournalist Zainab Faraj in southern Lebanon amounted to unlawful attacks that should be treated as war crimes. The findings, reported by Al Jazeera and released on Thursday, concern an April 22 strike in al-Tiri, where the two reporters had taken shelter after abandoning their vehicle during earlier Israeli attacks nearby.

According to the groups, the Israeli military appeared to know or should have known the women were civilians, and drones were reportedly present over the area. HRW said Israeli forces then struck the sheltering site despite a request for evacuation relayed through the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, and it also said rescuers were hindered as they tried to reach Khalil. The organizations cited witness accounts and other evidence to support their conclusions.

Israel said at the time that it had hit a vehicle linked to a military structure used by Hezbollah and denied blocking rescue teams. Amnesty said the army told it the incident had undergone a preliminary review and that lessons were implemented. Lebanon’s president also accused Israel of war crimes over the killing.

The case comes amid wider concern over journalist safety in the region. The Committee to Protect Journalists has documented a high toll among reporters killed in conflict, and rights groups say accountability is needed to prevent further attacks on civilians and media workers.