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Lebanese PM condemns Israeli airstrikes as war crimes
Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has accused Israel of committing war crimes after an Israeli airstrike killed a journalist and injured another in southern Lebanon on Wednesday. The attack also targeted a marked ambulance attempting to reach the wounded, according to Lebanese officials.
Journalists targeted in strike
Amal Khalil, a 43-year-old reporter for the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, died in the strike, while freelance photographer Zeinab Faraj sustained injuries. The two were traveling together when an initial airstrike hit a vehicle ahead of them, killing two unidentified men. Khalil and Faraj sought shelter in a nearby home, but a second strike hit the building, Lebanese authorities said.
The Lebanese health ministry reported that Israeli forces later fired a stun grenade and gunfire at a Lebanese Red Cross ambulance attempting to evacuate the journalists, preventing it from reaching them. The ministry described the incident as a "blatant double violation" of international law, citing the obstruction of rescue efforts and the targeting of a clearly marked medical vehicle.
"Targeting journalists, obstructing access to them by relief teams, and even targeting their locations again after these teams arrive constitutes war crimes," Salam said.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam
Israel denies targeting journalists
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) denied deliberately targeting journalists or impeding rescue operations. In a statement, the IDF said it "does not target journalists and acts to mitigate harm to them while maintaining the safety and security of its troops."
The IDF claimed it identified two vehicles departing from a Hezbollah military structure. One vehicle approached Israeli troops in a manner deemed an "immediate threat" after crossing a "forward defense line," violating a ceasefire. The Israeli Air Force struck the vehicle and the structure from which the individuals fled, the statement said.
International condemnation
Clayton Weimer, executive director of Reporters Without Borders, described the incident as a "callous disregard" for human life, noting that the IDF had been informed of the journalists' location and the ambulance's inability to reach them due to ongoing bombardment.
The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned Khalil's death, stating that the repeated strikes on the same location and the obstruction of medical access violated international humanitarian law. CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah said the incident raised "serious concerns of deliberate targeting," citing reports that Khalil had previously received an Israeli death threat warning her to leave southern Lebanon.
Wider context of violence
Khalil's death is the latest in a series of attacks on journalists in Lebanon. Earlier this month, two journalists-Ghada Dayekh, a presenter for Sawt al-Farah radio, and Suzan Khalil, a reporter for Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar TV-were killed in separate Israeli strikes. In March, three Lebanese journalists-Ali Shoeib, Fatima Ftouni, and her brother Mohamed Ftouni-were killed in a targeted Israeli strike in Jezzine.
The IDF confirmed killing Shoeib and Mohamed Ftouni, describing them as "terrorists" from Hezbollah's military wing, but acknowledged reports of a female journalist's death. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the killings as a "brazen crime" that violated international law by targeting civilians performing their professional duties.
Casualties and ceasefire efforts
Since the latest conflict escalated, Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed at least 2,475 people and wounded over 7,500, according to Lebanese authorities. The figures do not differentiate between civilians and combatants but include 274 women and 177 children. The Lebanese health ministry reported that at least 100 medical workers have been killed, and over 120 attacks on ambulances and medical facilities have been recorded.
Israeli authorities state that Hezbollah attacks have killed two civilians in Israel since March 2 and 13 Israeli soldiers in combat in Lebanon. Both sides have accused each other of violating the ceasefire agreement.
Last week, US-mediated talks between Lebanese and Israeli envoys resulted in a 10-day cessation of hostilities, aimed at facilitating negotiations for a permanent security and peace agreement. Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun confirmed efforts to extend the ceasefire, prioritizing the preservation of Lebanese sovereignty, the withdrawal of Israeli troops, and the release of Lebanese prisoners in Israel.
A Lebanese official told AFP that the country would request a one-month extension of the ceasefire during follow-up talks in Washington. Meanwhile, Israel's foreign minister stated that the two countries should "work together against the terror state that Hezbollah built."
