Lebanese Journalist Amal Khalil Killed in Israeli Airstrike in Southern Lebanon

Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil, a veteran reporter for the daily Al-Akhbar newspaper, was killed on Wednesday in an Israeli airstrike on a house in the southern village of al-Tiri. Khalil had sought shelter in the building after an earlier strike hit a nearby vehicle. Her colleague, photographer Zeinab Faraj, was seriously injured in the attack. Rescue efforts were delayed due to continued Israeli fire, and Khalil's body was recovered from the rubble hours later.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that the airstrike targeted Hezbollah operatives who had crossed into a security zone and posed an immediate threat. The IDF emphasized that it does not target journalists and is reviewing the incident.

Lebanon's Information Minister Paul Morcos condemned the attack, stating that Khalil "was targeted by the Israeli army while carrying out her professional duty."

Khalil's death brings the number of journalists killed in Lebanon this year to nine, amid ongoing hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah that have resulted in over 2,300 deaths since March 2.