A mourning crowd weeps near the coffin of Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil during her funeral procession in the town of Baissariyeh, south of Saida, on April 23, 2026. (Credit: Mahmoud Zayyat / AFP)
The killing of journalists in Lebanon in Israeli attacks, including that of journalist Amal Khalil this week in the village of Tiri in southern Lebanon, continues to spark outraged reactions.
In a joint statement on "attacks against journalists in Lebanon," the United Kingdom and Finland, as co-chairs of the Media Freedom Coalition, on Saturday condemned "the attacks on journalists in Lebanon, including the attack on journalist Amal Khalil, killed in an Israeli strike on April 22," calling such attacks "unacceptable" and urging Israel to respect their freedom and safety.
At least eight journalists have been killed since March 2 in Lebanon, due to clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, despite the truce established on April 17. Some were on assignment in the field, such as Amal Khalil and her colleague, who were directly targeted, while others died in raids against their homes or workplaces.
"Journalists and media personnel play a vital role in shedding light on the devastating reality of war," the statement noted. It added: "As co-chairs of the Media Freedom Coalition, the United Kingdom and Finland strongly condemn any violence directed at journalists and media workers. We call on the Israeli authorities and all other parties [involved in the conflict] to make every effort to ensure that media staff can work in free and safe conditions."
Information Minister Paul Morcos told the BBC that, at his ministry’s request, “the government will bring the issue of journalists killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon before the relevant international bodies.”
Asked about the death of journalist Amal Khalil, who was killed on April 22, the minister said that “Lebanese journalists must not be targets, just like medical personnel or civilians in general.” He added that “this constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law, notably the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the 1977 protocols, in particular Article 79 of the First Protocol, which prohibits targeting journalists and obliges parties to protect them.”
Such targeting of journalists is “unacceptable and must stop,” he stressed.
