DUBAI: The killing of Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil on Wednesday has renewed scrutiny over the rising number of media workers killed in conflicts involving Israel, with press freedom groups questioning accountability and transparency.
Khalil, a correspondent for Al-Akhbar, was reportedly sheltering in a house with freelance photographer Zeinab Faraj when it was struck. Lebanese officials described the incident as a “war crime.”
Her death brings the number of Lebanese journalists killed this year to nine. In Gaza, at least 294 journalists have been killed since October 2023, according to the United Nations Human Rights Office, making it the deadliest conflict for journalists on record.
Press freedom organizations say that several cases raise concerns about whether journalists are targeted because of their work, and whether sufficient evidence has been provided to support allegations of militant affiliation.
“In terms of Amal’s case, there are so many questions that need to be answered,” said Sara Qudah, Middle East and North Africa director at the Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ.
Qudah questioned why rescue teams were reportedly unable to reach the site following the strike.
“Why was the medical crew and the Red Cross blocked from going to the area?” she said, adding that preventing medical assistance to civilians could violate international law.
The Israeli military said that the case was under investigation and declined to comment further.
Israeli authorities have repeatedly said that some journalists are targeted because of alleged links to militant groups, arguing that individuals connected to organizations such as Hamas or Hezbollah may be considered legitimate military targets.
However, CPJ and UN officials say that the evidence provided in some cases has been limited or unverified.
Qudah cited the case of Al Jazeera correspondent Anas Al-Sharif, who was killed in August 2025 in a strike near Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza. Israeli authorities later alleged he was affiliated with Hamas.
“They confirmed that they targeted him, claiming he is a terrorist, without providing solid proof that he was not a civilian,” she said.
According to Qudah, when CPJ requested evidence, it received a spreadsheet listing his name alongside a Hamas logo. She said that such material did not constitute proof of militant activity.
The Israeli military maintains that it targets individuals involved in hostilities and denies deliberately targeting journalists.
In another case, the military provided an image that it said showed journalist Ali Shoeib wearing a Hezbollah uniform. Media reports later said that the image had been altered.
“Working with a media outlet that is pro-Hezbollah or any other party does not make the journalist a terrorist,” Qudah said. “They are still civilians and protected unless they directly participate in hostilities.”
Mayy El-Sheikh, a spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office in the occupied Palestinian territories, said that the threshold for targeting civilians under international law was “narrow.”
She added: “It is not enough to claim affiliation without independently verifiable evidence.”
UN officials also pointed to what they described as a pattern in which allegations were made without substantiated proof. In some cases, they said, journalists had been publicly accused months before being killed.
Al-Sharif had been accused by Israeli military spokespeople prior to his death. UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan warned shortly before the strike that such accusations could endanger his life.
He was killed on Aug. 10, 2025, along with four colleagues.
Since the start of the war in Gaza, international journalists have been barred from entering the territory. The Foreign Press Association and CPJ have challenged the ban before Israel’s Supreme Court, but a decision has been repeatedly delayed on security grounds.
Israeli authorities have said that they cannot guarantee the safety of foreign journalists in Gaza.
“You should be guaranteeing the safety of all journalists and civilians, regardless of nationality,” Qudah said.
Alongside the access restrictions, Palestinian journalists have also faced detention.
According to the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, 202 journalists were detained by Israeli forces as of October 2025, with 41 still in custody at that time.
The UN Human Rights Office said that testimonies from some released detainees included allegations of ill-treatment, including physical abuse and sexual violence.
Press freedom advocates say that the combination of journalist killings, restricted access and detentions was limiting independent reporting from the conflict.
Investigations into journalist deaths have been announced in multiple cases, but CPJ says that few findings have been made public.
“We hear there is an investigation, but we never see the results,” Qudah said.
UN officials say that international mechanisms have taken steps, including reports to the Human Rights Council and rulings by international courts, but enforcement depends on member states.
“The only thing missing is action by member states,” El-Sheikh said.
She added that, at a minimum, governments should press for greater access for international journalists.
As the conflict continues, media advocates warn that the loss of journalists risks reducing the availability of independently verified information.
In conflicts where access is restricted, each death further limits what can be documented — and what may remain unknown.
