Investigations by Human Rights Watch (HRW), Amnesty International and Legal Agenda have concluded that Israel deliberately and directly attacked journalist Amal Khalil and her colleague Zeinab Faraj, with apparent knowledge that they were journalists. The organisations have called for the attacks to be investigated as war crimes.
Attack on Journalists in Lebanon
Amal Khalil was killed in April in what colleagues described as a sustained attack by Israeli forces. Rescuers attempted to dig her out of the rubble of a building that had been targeted by Israeli forces, who had also prevented them from providing life-saving assistance. The attack also appeared to target ambulances trying to aid her.
Deliberately attacking journalists is a war crime. According to the UN human rights office, Israel has killed at least 15 journalists in Lebanon and 210 in Gaza since 2023.
Calls for Accountability
HRW called for states to halt arms sales to Israel and to put targeted sanctions on Israeli officials responsible for ongoing crimes. The organisations' findings were detailed in an explainer by Beirut-based Guardian correspondent Will Christou.
Israel said it 'regrets any harm caused to journalists', and that they were killed 'as part of a series of events' during which two Hezbollah military operatives were killed.
