Israel accused of targeting journalists in deadly series of strikes

Human rights organisations have accused Israel of committing a war crime in southern Lebanon, alleging the Israel Defense Forces deliberately targeted two Lebanese journalists earlier this year.

Amal Khalil, a 42-year-old journalist working for the Al-Akhbar newspaper, was killed in the attack in the village of Al-Tiri on April 22. Her colleague Zeinab Faraj, a 21-year-old freelance photographer and camera operator, was seriously wounded.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch investigated the incident, piecing together firsthand accounts from Faraj, emergency crews who tried to save the pair and examining photos and videos of the attack.

There were three strikes by the IDF on Al-Tiri that day. The military said it had been targeting Hezbollah fighters.

The first strike hit a vehicle in front of the car Khalil and Faraj were in, forcing the journalists to take shelter.

An hour later, a second strike hit their vehicle and the pair were wounded in the explosion. The third strike followed an hour after that.

During that time, Israeli surveillance drones were hovering overhead.

“The drones got extremely close, coming through the broken roof. Less than a meter away,” Faraj told investigators.

“The drones didn’t carry visible explosives, but they were hovering and provoking fear constantly.”

At the time, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam accused Israel of a war crime.

The chain of events led the two human rights organisations to demand an investigation.

“After the first strike had eliminated the military-stated target, and with two drones flying low overhead, the Israeli military knew or should have known that two civilian women were sheltering in that building,” Amnesty International’s Heba Morayef said.

“Despite this, they proceeded with what we have reasonable grounds to believe amounted to a direct attack on civilians, demonstrating a shocking disregard for international humanitarian law.”

Human Rights Watch said the investigation shattered the IDF’s insistence that it did not target journalists.

“The facts and evidence show that it has repeatedly done so,” the organisation’s Ramzi Kaiss said.

“Amal Khalil and Zainab Faraj are the latest victims in a long series of such attacks.

“The evidence is clear that the Israeli military knew or should have known that Faraj and Khalil were civilians, but attacked them anyway, and then prevented paramedics from rescuing them for hours.”

Investigations outline timeline of the incident

The investigations laid out a timeline of events leading up to the first, second and third strikes.

They found Khalil and Faraj had driven towards Al-Tiri, close to the town of Bint Jbeil, on April 22.

The purpose of their journey was to verify reports Israeli soldiers had withdrawn from the area, as part of their reporting on the war in Lebanon.

The pair were following another vehicle driven by Ali Nabil Bazzi, the local mayor, and his friend Mohammed Hourani.

The IDF has claimed the two men were Hezbollah operatives.

Moments after arriving in Al-Tiri, before 2:30pm, the vehicle the two men were in was attacked.

Calls we made to the Lebanese Civil Defence and the Lebanese Red Cross a little more than 10 minutes later.

One of the Civil Defence officials said the crews were held at a Lebanese military checkpoint and told by officers they were waiting for approval from the IDF to enter the site.

This was a process implemented as part of the November 2024 ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, involving officials from the UN peacekeeping force stationed along the border to monitor the situation.

Still stuck at the checkpoint, Civil Defense called the journalists and told them to rush to leave the area immediately as there was no guarantee Israel would not attack again.

The pair had been seeking shelter near their car and surveillance drones were circling.

“There was a crack in the roof, and we could see the quadcopter right above peering in,” Faraj told Human Rights Watch.

“For one hour, we waited under the tiled roof and the entire time there were two quadcopters above us.

“The quadcopter would go up and come down. It kept doing this.”

At about 3:40pm, the second strike hit the journalists’ car. Khalil and Faraj were injured in the attack but managed to get word back to the Civil Defense that they could not get out.

“Glass and debris flew toward us. My ear felt like it burst,” Faraj told Amnesty International.

“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.”

The women managed to seek shelter inside a nearby building while waiting for help. Civil Defense crews remained waiting at the checkpoint.

Red Cross abandoned scene due to threat

The third Israeli strike, according to the investigations, came at about 4:25pm.

It hit the building the women were hiding inside, causing it to collapse and trapping them under the rubble.

The Lebanese Red Cross was given permission to enter the area after 5pm, without Civil Defense support, and the crews managed to rescue Faraj.

She had suffered a fractured skull, injuries to her right eye and leg, and a crushed hand. Khalil remained trapped under the rubble.

The Red Cross crews were forced to leave at about 6pm after threats of further attacks.

It was not until about 7:20pm that authorisation was received for crews to return to the site — and only after a flurry of phone calls, including from the offices of the Lebanese president and prime minister.

This time, Red Cross crews arrived with an ambulance and a small bulldozer to try to pick through the rubble of the building.

That work began at 9pm and Khalil’s body was recovered. Her time of death, as recorded on her death certificate, was 7pm. The cause was recorded as “cardiac arrest due to a head trauma and severe bleeding”.

Amnesty International said the Lebanese government should join the International Criminal Court and demand an investigation for war crimes.

“The impunity enjoyed by Israeli forces for the killing of journalists and other civilians in Lebanon over the past three years has enabled the Israeli military to continue with its unlawful air strikes, including direct attacks on civilians,” Ms Morayef said.

“Amal Khalil’s killing must be independently and impartially investigated. It is well past time that the international community impose a comprehensive arms embargo on Israel.”

Israel claims two Hezbollah military operatives killed

In response to the investigation by the human rights groups, the IDF told the ABC that Khalil was killed “during a sequence of events in which two military operatives in Hezbollah’s military wing, Ali Nabil Bazi and Mohammad Al-Khourani, were eliminated”.

“The incident has been referred to the General Staff Fact-Finding and Assessment Mechanism to conduct a comprehensive factual assessment,” it said in a statement.

“Upon its completion, the findings will be submitted to the Military Advocate General for review, who will determine whether any additional measures are required.

“The IDF regrets any harm caused to journalists. The IDF does not target journalists and respects freedom of the press and the important role journalists play.”