BEIRUT / PNN /

The Lebanese Red Cross announced on Wednesday evening the killing of journalist Amal Khalil in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon while she was carrying out her journalistic work.

The Lebanese Ministry of Health said in an earlier statement that Israeli warplanes carried out two airstrikes on the town of At-Tiri in the Bint Jbeil district, killing two people and injuring journalist Zainab Faraj, while efforts were still underway to rescue journalist Amal Khalil from under the rubble.

The ministry added that Israeli forces pursued Khalil and her colleague Zainab Faraj, who had taken shelter from the first strike in a nearby house, and targeted the house where they had sought refuge.

It stated that when the Lebanese Red Cross arrived to evacuate the wounded, its team was prevented from completing the mission after an ambulance was fired at and a stun grenade was thrown, which obstructed the rescue of Khalil, while Faraj and the bodies of the two other people were later transferred to hospital.

The Lebanese Ministry of Health condemned what it described as repeated rejected practices carried out by the Israeli occupation, noting a blatant double violation reflected in the obstruction of efforts to rescue a civilian known for her media activity, as well as the targeting of an ambulance clearly marked with the Red Cross emblem.

Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos mourned journalist Amal Khalil, saying that targeting journalists is a criminal act and a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, urging the international community and relevant organizations to act to prevent its recurrence.