BEIRUT (FN), Lebanon accused Israel on Wednesday of deliberately targeting a veteran journalist killed in an airstrike in the country’s south, a claim that threatens to unravel a fragile ceasefire between the two sides.
Amal Khalil, a correspondent for the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, was killed Tuesday when Israeli warplanes struck the town of al-Tiri near the border. Another journalist, freelance photographer Zeinab Faraj, was seriously wounded.
Information Minister Paul Morcos said Khalil “was targeted by the Israeli army while carrying out her professional duty,” calling the strike a “grave crime” and vowing to file a complaint with the United Nations.
The Israeli military denied targeting journalists, saying the strike was aimed at Hezbollah-linked vehicles and that it sought to minimize civilian harm.
The incident comes less than a week after a ceasefire agreement, raising doubts about its durability. It follows a string of similar cases in recent years in which journalists have been killed in conflict zones, including Gaza, Iraq and Ukraine, sparking international outcry over press safety.
Press freedom groups say Khalil’s death underscores the dangers faced by reporters covering the Middle East’s volatile frontlines.
