Netanyahu Accuses Hezbollah of Sabotaging Peace Deal Amid Rising Tensions in Lebanon and Sweden Fraud Surge, Journalist Killings Spark International Outcry

Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil killed in Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon A Lebanese journalist was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a house in southern Lebanon where she had taken cover while reporting on the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, her newspaper confirmed. Amal Khalil, a reporter for the daily Al-Akhbar newspaper, died in the village of al-Tiri on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. She had been covering renewed hostilities between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah militant group that reignited in early March, according to rescue workers and local authorities. Khalil had sought shelter in the house alongside her colleague, Zeinab Faraj, a freelance photojournalist who was seriously wounded in the strikes, after an earlier Israeli airstrike hit near their vehicle. The Lebanese health ministry reported that the initial strike resulted in two fatalities. A subsequent strike then hit the house where the two journalists had taken refuge. Rescue workers were initially able to reach Faraj and retrieve the bodies of those killed in the first strike, but were forced to halt efforts to reach Khalil after coming under fire from Israeli forces, the ministry said. Khalil remained trapped under the rubble for hours before Lebanese army, civil defense, and Red Cross teams were able to access the scene. Her body was recovered shortly before midnight, at least six hours after the strike. Israel’s military said individuals in the village had violated the ceasefire, endangering its troops. The military denied targeting journalists or obstructing rescue operations, stating the incident was under review. Lebanon’s Information Minister Paul Morcos condemned the killing, saying, “Killing of journalists is a crime and a flagrant violation of international and humanitarian law.” The airstrike occurred during a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, which had been extended by three weeks following direct talks in Washington. Khalil is the latest media worker to die in the conflict since the beginning of March. Her work for Al-Akhbar, a newspaper aligned with Hezbollah, has drawn attention to the risks faced by journalists covering the escalating violence. The incident underscores the ongoing dangers faced by reporters in conflict zones and highlights the challenges to press safety amid renewed hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah. International press freedom organizations have repeatedly warned about the targeting of media personnel in the region.