Amal Khalil killed in southern Lebanon after reported Israeli ‘double‑tap’ air strike
Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil killed in southern Lebanon after an Israeli air strike; rights groups and officials call for an urgent independent investigation.
Amal Khalil, a veteran Lebanese reporter, was killed and a colleague seriously wounded after an Israeli air strike struck the village of al‑Tayri in southern Lebanon, officials said. The attack occurred as Khalil and fellow journalist Zeinab Faraj were covering an earlier raid on a vehicle, and witnesses say the pair were targeted while trying to take shelter. Lebanese authorities and rights groups described the incident as a likely “double‑tap” strike and have called for immediate investigations.
Attack kills veteran journalist in al‑Tayri
The initial strike hit a vehicle near al‑Tayri, killing two people and prompting Khalil and Faraj to seek refuge in a nearby house, according to Lebanese officials. Rescue teams reported that a second strike then struck the house where the journalists had sheltered, fatally wounding Khalil and seriously injuring Faraj. Colleagues said Khalil last spoke with family and security forces at about 4:10pm local time before the house was hit.
Rescue efforts hampered by reported gunfire
Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health and local rescuers said attempts to reach the trapped journalist were impeded after emergency teams came under fire and were forced to withdraw. Khalil’s body was recovered shortly before midnight, more than seven hours after the initial attack, officials reported. The delay in extraction has drawn sharp criticism from rights groups that say obstruction of medical crews violates international humanitarian norms.
Colleague wounded and civilian casualties noted
Paramedics were able to retrieve Faraj from the rubble; she was reported to be seriously wounded but alive following the strike. In addition to the two people killed in the first explosion, rescuers recovered further casualties at the scene, underscoring the civilian toll of the strikes near the border. Local journalists and witnesses described chaotic scenes as emergency services worked under intermittent fire to evacuate the wounded.
International groups and Lebanese leaders demand probe
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urged the international community to investigate the killing and called for accountability, noting a broader pattern of journalists killed in the region. CPJ regional director Sara Qudah said the military’s reported obstruction of medical teams is a “brutal and recurring crime” and urged an urgent inquiry into more than 200 journalist deaths the organisation has tracked regionally. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the attack on social media, accusing Israel of deliberately targeting journalists to conceal its actions, and wished a speedy recovery to Faraj.
Journalist’s career, reporting focus and prior threats
Amal Khalil, born in 1984 in Baysariyyeh, had filed reports for the Arabic-language paper Al Akhbar since the 2006 war and was widely known for covering the border region. Her recent reporting documented demolitions and operations in villages where Israeli forces have operated inside Lebanon, themes she said were intended to show the human impact of strikes. Colleagues and a regional correspondent reported that Khalil had received direct threats over messaging apps during the last major round of hostilities, and had been warned to stop reporting or leave the country.
Pattern of ‘double‑tap’ attacks and previous incidents
Lebanese officials described the killing as a “double‑tap” strike, a tactic in which an initial attack is followed by a second strike aimed at rescuers or survivors. Less than a month earlier, three journalists were killed in southern Lebanon in what authorities and witnesses described as a similar two‑stage attack on their vehicle and rescue teams. In that case, the Israeli army initially published imagery alleging one of the journalists had militia links, then later acknowledged the photo had been altered, a development that intensified calls for independent scrutiny.
The Israeli military issued a statement denying that it prevents rescue teams from reaching scenes and said it does not target journalists, while stressing the complexities of operations near active combatants. Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos characterised the al‑Tayri strike as a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and urged international bodies to act. Rights groups, Lebanese officials and media organisations have all called for impartial, international investigations into the circumstances surrounding Khalil’s death and the repeated attacks on reporters in the border region.