Israel Committed War Crimes in Strike Killing Journalist Amal Khalil, Rights Groups Say

Leading human rights organisations determined that Israel committed war crimes when an airstrike killed journalist Amal Khalil and injured her camera operator in southern Lebanon on April 22, 2026. Investigations indicate the military targeted civilians and obstructed subsequent rescue operations by paramedics.

An international outcry followed joint findings released by major rights monitors regarding a deadly series of strikes in southern Lebanon. Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and Legal Agenda published investigations showing that the Israeli military deliberately targeted media workers despite clear civilian indicators according to three rights organisations. The April 22 operation destroyed a civilian structure, ended a reporter’s life, and severely wounded her colleague.

The Timeline of the Strike in al-Tiri

The sequence of events began when Amal Khalil, reporting for the Lebanese daily news outlet al-Akhbar, and freelance camera operator Zainab Faraj drove to the southern town of al-Tiri to verify reports that Israeli troops had left the area. They drove behind a vehicle carrying Ali Nabil Bazzi, a municipal official of Bint Jbeil, and Mohammed al-Hourani, a friend of the mayor as detailed in the group investigations.

At approximately 2:30 p.m., an initial strike hit the car driving ahead of the journalists, killing Bazzi and al-Hourani and forcing Faraj and Khalil to abandon their car and seek shelter near a neighboring building. While waiting, the journalists observed low-flying surveillance drones.

“The drones came extremely close through the roof, less than a metre from my face and Amal’s.”

Zainab Faraj, freelance journalist and camera operator, via The Guardian

At 3:31 p.m., a civil defence member urged Khalil over the phone to drive away because safe passage authorization had not yet cleared. Minutes later, between 3:21 p.m. and 3:42 p.m., a second attack struck the journalists’ car a few meters from their hiding spot.

Israeli Airstrikes in Southern Lebanon Kill One and Injure 11

“Glass and debris flew towards us. My ear felt like it burst. She [Amal Khalil] was bleeding heavily from the nose and head and had shrapnel wounds in her arm and thigh; she couldn’t move her leg.”

Zainab Faraj, freelance journalist and camera operator, via The Guardian

The two wounded women crawled into a nearby building for shelter. At 4:25 p.m., a third strike bombed that building, collapsing it and burying both women under the rubble.

Obstructed Rescues and Hospital Findings

Evidence reviewed by rights monitors shows that rescue efforts faced prolonged delays. At 3:00 p.m., the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon transmitted a request from the Lebanese Red Cross to access the site through official deconfliction channels. Witnesses reported that Israeli forces further obstructed rescue efforts by dropping a drone-delivered stun grenade, which forced Lebanese Red Cross paramedics to retreat without reaching Khalil while ambulances were also struck with small arms fire.

Permission for the Red Cross to enter the village was finally granted at 5:00 p.m., allowing crews to evacuate Faraj who suffered a fractured skull, severe right leg and eye injuries, and a crushed hand. Khalil’s body was recovered later that evening and taken to Tebnin Governmental Hospital where a medical report stated she died around 7:00 p.m. from cardiac arrest resulting from a severe head injury. The hospital report and timeline indicate that Khalil was most likely alive when Israeli forces forced the Red Cross team to retreat.

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Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International Accusations

Researchers asserted that the attacks violated international humanitarian law regarding the protection of civilians and journalists.

Photo: theguardian.com

“The Israeli military says it does not target journalists, but the facts and evidence show that it has repeatedly done so. Amal Khalil and Zainab Faraj are the latest victims in a long series of such attacks.”

Ramzi Kaiss, Lebanon researcher at Human Rights Watch

Kaiss added that the evidence is clear that the Israeli military knew, or should have, that Faraj and Khalil were civilians, but attacked them anyway, and then prevented paramedics from rescuing them for hours. Amnesty International noted that although the military designated al-Tiri as a restricted security zone following an April 17 ceasefire agreement, civilians do not lose their protected status simply by being present in displacement-ordered areas.

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Official Responses and International Demands

In statements issued after the incidents, the Israeli military maintained that it was targeting Hezbollah and asserted that it regrets any harm caused to journalists. The military claimed the journalists were hit as part of a series of events involving two operatives killed roughly two hours prior to the strike on the building.

Human Rights Watch urged the Lebanese government to accede to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and accept its jurisdiction dating back to at least October 7, 2023. The organization further called on allies including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and European Union member states to immediately suspend arms transfers and military assistance to Israel while imposing targeted sanctions on officials responsible for ongoing abuses.

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