Israel’s April 22 strike in al‑Tiri kills journalist, classified as war crime
An investigation reveals that Israeli forces targeted civilians, struck their vehicle and shelter, and obstructed rescue teams for hours.
Attacks by the Israeli military in the southern Lebanese town of al-Tiri killed a journalist and severely injured her camera operator, an incident that Human Rights Watch has characterized as an apparent war crime involving deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian objects, according to reporting published on Thursday, August 6, 2026.
The strikes killed Amal Khalil, who reported on southern Lebanon for the daily newspaper al-Akhbar, and severely wounded freelance journalist and camera operator Zainab Faraj. Evidence reviewed by Human Rights Watch — including photographs, videos, witness accounts, and deconfliction requests submitted by the Lebanese Red Cross — indicates that the military knew or should have known the two women were civilians.
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Chronology of the Sequence
The sequence of events began when an Israeli strike hit a car traveling ahead of the journalists, killing two people inside, Ali Bazzi and Mohammed al-Hourani. That initial attack forced Khalil and Faraj to abandon their vehicle and seek shelter near a neighboring building. Following the first strike, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) forwarded a request from the Lebanese Red Cross to the Israeli military at 3:00 p.m. Asking for safe passage to rescue trapped journalists.
Between 3:21 p.m. And 3:42 p.m., a second attack struck Khalil and Faraj's car a few meters from their hiding spot, injuring Khalil and forcing both women to move inside the building. Israeli quadcopter drones monitored them while they hid. A third strike at approximately 4:25 p.m. Bombed that building, destroying it and burying them in the rubble.
Witnesses reported that the Israeli military further obstructed rescue efforts. Paramedics from the Lebanese Red Cross who arrived at the scene were initially forced to retreat without rescuing Khalil after a quadcopter drone deployed a stun grenade. Witnesses also reported hearing small-arms fire directed toward the ambulance.
Hospital records from Tebnin Governmental Hospital, where Khalil's body was eventually taken, stated that she died at around 7:00 p.m. From cardiac arrest and severe bleeding caused by a head injury. The timeline indicates that Khalil was likely still alive when Israeli forces forced the Red Cross team to retreat.
Although the Lebanese Red Cross initiated a second entry request that UNIFIL sent before 7:00 p.m., the Israeli military did not grant authorization until 8:15 p.m. Rescue workers ultimately recovered Khalil's body at around 11:00 p.m.
Eyewitness and Investigator Accounts
Zainab Faraj described the conditions during the hours they spent hiding under a tiled roof while monitored by drones overhead.
"There was a crack in the roof, and we could see the quadcopter right above peering in… For one hour, we waited under the tiled roof and the entire time, there were two quadcopters above us."
Zainab Faraj, freelance journalist, via Human Rights Watch
Ramzi Kaiss, Lebanon researcher at Human Rights Watch, emphasized the evidentiary conclusions of the organization's review.
"The Israeli military says it does not target journalists, but the facts and evidence show that it has repeatedly done so. Amal Khalil and Zainab Faraj are the latest victims in a long series of such attacks."
Ramzi Kaiss, Lebanon researcher, via Human Rights Watch
Kaiss added that the evidence demonstrates the military knew or should have known the victims were civilians, attacked them regardless, and subsequently blocked rescue personnel for hours.
Military Narrative and Institutional Responses
In an Arabic-language statement published at 8:27 p.m. On the day of the attack, an Israeli military spokesperson referred to the victims as saboteurs who had emerged from a military structure linked to Hezbollah and crossed a front line. The military asserted that the air force targeted a vehicle and a building after determining a ceasefire violation had occurred, maintaining that two journalists were reported injured and denying that rescue teams were impeded.
Human Rights Watch noted that the Israeli military provided a brief response on June 24, 2026, to an inquiry sent on June 17, 2026, but failed to answer follow-up questions. UNIFIL also received a letter from Human Rights Watch on May 7, 2026, requesting an investigation, but did not respond.
Human Rights Watch has called on Israel's allies, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and other European Union states, to suspend military assistance and arms transfers, and to impose targeted sanctions on responsible officials. Additionally, the organization urged Lebanese judicial authorities to launch domestic investigations and recommended that the Lebanese government accede to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
