Lebanon’s prime minister accused Israel of war crimes after an airstrike in southern Lebanon on Wednesday killed one journalist and seriously injured another.
Amal Khalil, who worked for Lebanon’s Al-Akbar newspaper, was killed while working as a journalist, according to the Lebanese National News Agency (NNA). She became the fourth media worker killed by Israel in Lebanon since March. The other journalist was identified by Lebanese authorities as Zeinab Farage, a freelance photojournalist. Al-Akbar is a left-wing, pro-Hezbollah newspaper.
The two journalists were seeking refuge during a series of strikes in the southern Lebanese town of Tairi when the building they were living in was attacked.
According to NNA, Lebanese authorities also accused Israeli forces of attempting to obstruct rescue efforts by emergency workers, including transporting Faraj to hospital after Red Cross workers came under “hostile fire.”
Several other people were also killed in the airstrike, NNA reported.
“Targeting journalists, blocking the approach of rescue teams, and then targeting them again after their arrival amounts to a war crime,” Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam wrote in a post on X.
He said Israeli attacks on media workers were no longer “isolated incidents” but “established practices that we condemn.”
The Israeli military acknowledged that two journalists were injured as a result of the airstrike, but said it “does not target journalists and is acting to reduce harm to journalists while maintaining the safety and security of our forces.”
The authorities insisted they were not blocking the team’s access to the site and said details of the incident were under review.
The official said the country’s forces in southern Lebanon saw two vehicles coming from a “military facility” said to be used by Hezbollah. It said a “terrorist” in a car approached the troops in a threatening manner. The military then attacked one of the vehicles and the building where people fled.
CNN cannot independently verify either Lebanese or Israeli accounts.
The airstrike occurred during a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon aimed at pausing fighting with Iran-backed Hezbollah, which has been ongoing since last Friday.
A second round of direct talks between Israeli and Lebanese officials is scheduled for Thursday in Washington, according to Israeli and State Department officials.
Wednesday’s Israeli attack prompted protests from groups such as the United Nations and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
“CPJ holds the Israeli military responsible for endangering the life of Amal Khalil and for the injuries suffered by Zeynab Farage after a targeted attack on an Israeli military position,” CPJ regional director Sara Kuda said on Wednesday.
According to CPJ, two-thirds of all killings of journalists and media workers in 2025 were committed by Israel.
Earlier this month, UN experts called for an independent international investigation after Israeli forces killed three journalists in Lebanon, including one from a Hezbollah-run broadcaster.
Last week, US President Donald Trump announced a 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon, effective April 16 at 5pm ET, following a deadly gunfight that has escalated since early March.
