Israeli forces block rescue of Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil, who dies in rubble

On 22 April, an Israeli airstrike near al‑Tiri in southern Lebanon hit the vehicle of journalist Amal Khalil, 43, and collapsed a nearby building where she sought shelter. Khalil remained alive but wounded and bleeding inside the rubble. Rescue teams from the Lebanese army, civil defense and Red Cross waited five miles away for clearance from the Israeli Defense Forces. A stun grenade was fired near the rescuers, and the IDF did not grant permission until after 20:00, by which time Khalil had died, with medical records showing death at 19:00.

Lebanese officials, including Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, called the incident a war crime, saying “targeting of media workers … is no longer isolated incidents.” Israel denied targeting journalists and asserted it does not prevent rescue operations. International press‑freedom groups such as Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the strike and the denial of medical access, urging an investigation into possible violations of international law.