Journalist Amal Khalil, who lost her life in an airstrike in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, was able to contact her family and the Lebanese military for assistance prior to her death, as reported by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
Khalil, an employee of Lebanon’s leftist, pro-Hezbollah Al Akhbar newspaper, was killed while performing her journalistic duties, while another journalist sustained severe injuries, as reported by Lebanon’s National News Agency. The assault led Lebanon’s prime minister to charge Israel with war crimes.
The two reporters sought refuge during a series of bombings in the town of Tayri in southern Lebanon when the structure they were inside was struck.
Khalil “remained trapped beneath the debris for seven hours,” CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah informed Xenix News on Thursday. Khalil was not instantly eliminated in the attack, she mentioned.
Khalil’s last communication occurred around 4 p.m. or 4:10 p.m. local time, during which she reached out to her family and contacted the Lebanese military. “According to reports, it was confirmed by the (Israel Defense Forces) that Amal was buried under the debris and was still alive,” Qudah stated.
Nonetheless, Qudah stated to Xenix News that the Red Cross was “impeded for seven hours, and when they arrived after seven hours, she had already passed away.” She mentioned that this kind of “hindrance to rescue operations could potentially be classified as a war crime.”
The Israeli military confirmed that two journalists were hurt due to the strike but stated it “does not aim at journalists and works to reduce harm to them while ensuring the safety and security of its forces.”
It maintained that it had not stopped teams from entering the area and stated that information regarding the incident was being evaluated. Xenix News is unable to independently confirm the accounts from either the Lebanese or Israeli sources.
Xenix News report by Charbel Mallo, Tamara Qiblawi, Sana Noor Haq, and Dana Karni.
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