Lebanon Strike Kills Veteran Reporter

A missile struck a car in southern Lebanon, killing veteran reporter Amal Khalil.

The attack occurred on 22 April during a ceasefire in the village of al-Tiri.

Zeinab Faraj, a 21-year-old photojournalist, was with Khalil when the first missile hit the vehicle ahead of them.

Khalil, 42, was a newspaper reporter who had contacted Faraj after seeing her work online. The pair had worked together on multiple assignments. They were documenting the aftermath of a month of deadly airstrikes that focused on the south of the country.

Faraj heard Khalil screaming before seeing the car on fire. Drones then appeared, flying low and close. Emergency services assured them help was coming, but paramedics later told them to drive back up the road because ambulances were blocked.

A second missile struck their car as they tried to enter it, throwing them backward. Khalil wrapped her arms around Faraj. They took shelter in a nearby house while waiting for rescue. Khalil had visible injuries to her face, hand, and leg.

Faraj sent a final message to her sister before her phone died. She crawled inside to watch the road. A drone descended suddenly toward her. Later, another missile hit the building, trapping Faraj under rubble.

A paramedic reached the scene and held Faraj by the shoulders while a second cleared the debris. They pulled her free as drones returned and a stun grenade was dropped. Faraj was taken to a hospital.

Nurses at the hospital initially tried to reassure Faraj about Khalil before falling silent. Khalil is believed to have died about an hour before paramedics were allowed back into the area. The Israeli military said it identified saboteurs violating the ceasefire. Human rights groups called the incident a war crime.

Faraj is returning to university with visible injuries to her hand and face. She struggles to walk and wakes at night screaming. She remains haunted by the image of Mohammed Hourani, a friend of the mayor, after the first strike. Hourani was 37 and was in the car that was hit first. Ali Nabil Bazzi, 27, a municipal official, was also in that vehicle.