An international rights group has called for an urgent, independent investigation into an Israeli attack on 22 April 2026 that killed Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil and seriously wounded camerawoman Zeinab Faraj, saying available evidence indicates the strike was a direct attack on civilians and could amount to a war crime.
Amnesty findings
Amnesty International said its investigation relied on testimony from the sole survivor and first responders, corroborated by audiovisual material, records of coordination and external reporting. The organisation concluded that the two women, both civilians engaged in journalistic work, had sought shelter after an earlier air strike had hit a car and killed two men.
“Amnesty International’s investigation paints a harrowing picture of a direct attack on two civilians while they had sought refuge from Israeli attacks... This attack must be promptly, independently and impartially investigated as a war crime.”
The rights group said there were three strikes in the village of al-Tiri, in the Nabatieh governorate, on the afternoon in question. The first strike reportedly hit a car at 14:25, killing two men. Over the subsequent two hours, with drones described as hovering at close range, two further strikes struck first a car parked near where the journalists were sheltering and then the building in which they had taken refuge.
| Time (22 April) | Reported action |
|---|---|
| 14:25 | First strike hit a car; two men killed |
| Within two hours | Further strikes hit parked car and the building sheltering the journalists |
Legal and humanitarian concerns
Amnesty’s regional director for the Middle East and North Africa said the pattern of strikes, taken together with the presence of drones overhead, suggests the Israeli military knew or should have known civilians were present. The organisation emphasised that designation of an area as a military exclusion or "no-return" zone does not render civilians lawful targets.
The call for an impartial probe centres on two legal obligations under international humanitarian law: the duty to distinguish between civilians and combatants and the requirement that attacks be directed only at military objectives. Amnesty said the journalists had sought safety after the initial strike and therefore were entitled to protection.
- Civilians involved: Both Amal Khalil and Zeinab Faraj were identified as journalists and non-combatants.
- Sequence of strikes: Three strikes were reported in al-Tiri, including hits on a car and on the sheltering building.
- Evidence cited: Survivor testimony, first-responder accounts, audiovisual material and coordination records.
Context
The village of al-Tiri is located in the Nabatieh governorate, which Amnesty says fell within an area that the Israeli military had unilaterally designated a "Forward Defence" zone and in which civilian return was banned. While the designation was cited in Amnesty’s report, the organisation reiterated that such declarations do not remove the protections afforded to civilians under the laws of armed conflict.
Rights groups routinely call for independent investigations where civilian deaths are alleged to result from attacks by state forces. Such inquiries can inform potential criminal proceedings, help establish facts around targeting decisions and provide a basis for accountability measures.
No response from Israeli authorities is included in Amnesty’s published findings. The organisation has requested that the incident be examined promptly, independently and impartially as a potential war crime.
The killing of journalists in conflict zones raises persistent concerns among international organisations about the safety of press personnel and the broader protection of civilians. Amnesty’s report adds to ongoing scrutiny of conduct by parties to the conflict and the mechanisms available to investigate alleged violations.
