Kathmandu— Two human rights organizations, Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International, have labeled an Israeli military strike in southern Lebanon as an apparent war crime after it resulted in the death of al-Akhbar newspaper reporter Amal Khalil and serious injuries to freelance camera operator Zeinab Faraj on April 22. The groups concluded that the journalists were targeted while reporting in the town of al-Tiri, calling for an independent investigation and urging Lebanon to accept the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.

Evidence Review

HRW and Amnesty International reviewed photo and video evidence from the attack site, as well as witness testimony from Faraj and first responders. According to HRW's reconstruction, the first strike hit a car in front of Khalil and Faraj at around 14:30 local time, killing two men they knew. The journalists then sought refuge near a neighboring building after abandoning their vehicle. A second strike between 15:21 and 15:42 injured Khalil, while the third strike destroyed the sheltering building at about 16:25.

Israeli Military Response

The Israeli military denied targeting the journalists, stating that its forces were aiming for two Hezbollah operatives. HRW's Lebanon researcher Ramzi Kaiss said, 'The Israeli military says it does not target journalists, but the facts and evidence show that it has repeatedly done so.' The military also stated that the incident was under internal review but did not answer follow-up questions about the purpose of subsequent strikes.

Journalists' Experience

Faraj described the intense fear caused by Israeli quadcopter drones hovering near her and Khalil. 'The drones got extremely close, coming through the broken roof. Less than a meter away,' Faraj told Amnesty International. Phone records showed that Khalil remained in contact with first responders and family members during the attacks.

Aftermath

A Lebanese Red Cross team entered al-Tiri after 17:00 but was forced to retreat due to fire from a drone-delivered stun grenade. Khalil died around 19:00 as a result of cardiac arrest, according to Tebnin Governmental Hospital's report. Her body was eventually recovered by rescue workers at around 23:00.

(With inputs from BBC News)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.