Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil faces direct Israeli threat amid escalating dangers for journalists in south Lebanon

Report by Edmond Sassine, English adaptation by Shaza Wannous

In three weeks, Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil will mark her first year covering the war in southern Lebanon.

During this time, and despite intensifying dangers, she has remained in border villages, documenting the destruction and Israeli attacks from point-blank range and sharing the stories of the residents in those areas.

However, on August 25, Khalil became the subject of a news story herself due to an Israeli threat directed at her.

Security checks of the phone number and message confirmed the threat's seriousness, which not only breaches international humanitarian law but also threatens the safety of journalists, who are classified as civilians and must be protected in armed conflicts.

This threat is part of a larger, ongoing pattern of violence against journalists carried out by Israeli forces. It began with the killing of Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah on October 13, 2023, in a direct attack in Aalma El Chaeb. Other journalists were also injured in that incident.

The pattern continued with an attack in Yaroun on November 13, 2023, and culminated in the killing of journalists Farah Omar and Rabih Maamari in Tayr Harfa on November 21, 2023, also in a direct attack.

The severity of the Israeli attacks is further reflected in Gaza, where 173 journalists have been killed since October 7, 2023. Furthermore, media institutions have been targeted and destroyed, contributing to what can be described as a "media genocide."