Lebanese reporter Amal Khalil killed in Israeli strike near border town

A Lebanese journalist was killed and another injured in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, according to local authorities, media organisations, and rescue teams.

The victim, Amal Khalil, worked for the Beirut-based daily Al-Akhbar and was reporting from the border region when the strike hit a residential building in the town of al-Tiri. Civil defence teams said her body was later recovered from beneath the rubble. Lebanese PM Nawaf Salam also strongly condemned the attack.

إن استهداف الصحافيين، وعرقلة وصول الفرق الإغاثية اليهم، بل واستهداف مواقعهم مجدداً بعد وصول هذه الفرق، يشكّل جرائم حرب موصوفة.
لم يعد استهداف اسرائيل للإعلاميين في الجنوب أثناء قيامهم بعملهم المهني حوادث منفردة، بل صار نهجاً مثبتا ندينه ونرفضه، كما تدينه وترفضه كل القوانين…

— Nawaf Salam نواف سلام (@nawafsalam) April 22, 2026

Another journalist, Zeinab Faraj, was wounded in the same incident and transported to hospital after being rescued from the scene. Faraj, a freelance photographer, had frequently collaborated with Khalil on field assignments in southern Lebanon.

Lebanon’s information minister, Paul Morcos, strongly condemned the attack, stating that Khalil had been deliberately targeted while carrying out her professional duties. He described the incident as a “grave crime” and said it represented a clear breach of international humanitarian law, particularly protections afforded to journalists in conflict zones.

Rescue efforts delayed amid continued strikes

Emergency responders initially struggled to reach the site due to ongoing security concerns. A Lebanese Red Cross official said teams managed to extract Faraj but were forced to withdraw before reaching Khalil after a warning strike in the vicinity.

Hours later, ambulance crews, accompanied by the Lebanese army and heavy machinery, returned to the area to continue the search. Local media reported that access was eventually secured following coordination with international actors, including the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, allowing rescuers to recover Khalil’s body.

Lebanon’s health ministry had earlier reported that two people were killed in the strike, though details about the second fatality remain limited.

Khalil was regarded as an experienced correspondent, known for her extensive coverage of southern Lebanon during recent hostilities and earlier periods of cross-border conflict. Her reporting often focused on frontline developments and the humanitarian toll of ongoing violence.

Israeli military cites security threat

In a statement, the Israeli military said it had identified vehicles leaving a location it described as a Hezbollah-linked site in southern Lebanon. It claimed those inside were in violation of ceasefire arrangements and posed an immediate threat.

According to the statement, one of the vehicles was targeted in an airstrike, followed by a strike on the structure from which it had departed. The military acknowledged reports that journalists were among those affected but maintained that rescue teams were not being obstructed from accessing the area.

The incident adds to growing concerns about the safety of media workers operating in conflict zones, particularly along the volatile Lebanon-Israel border, where sporadic violence has persisted despite ceasefire efforts.