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The U.K. and Finland on Saturday condemned attacks on journalists and media workers in Lebanon, calling them “unacceptable” after Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil was killed in an Israeli strike.
The two countries, acting as co-chairs of the Media Freedom Coalition, urged all parties, including Israeli authorities, to ensure that media workers in Lebanon can work freely and safely.
“Journalists and media workers play an essential role in putting the spotlight on the devastating reality of war. Attacks on journalists in Lebanon, including journalist Amal Khalil killed in an Israeli strike on 22 April, are unacceptable,” the statement said.
“As co-chairs of the Media Freedom Coalition, the UK and Finland strongly condemn all violence directed against journalists and media workers,” it added.
The countries called on Israeli authorities and all other parties to take steps to protect journalists.
“We call on the Israeli authorities and all other parties to make every effort to ensure that media workers in Lebanon can conduct their work freely and safely,” they said.
Khalil, a reporter for Al-Akhbar newspaper, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the southern Lebanese village of Al-Tayri.
Her body was recovered from rubble nearly six hours after the attack.
The Lebanese Press Syndicate Editors said Khalil was killed in the southern town of Tayri, while her colleague Zeinab Faraj was wounded.
The syndicate said Khalil had previously received death threats from the Israeli army.
The Lebanese Press Syndicate Editors said at least 27 journalists and media workers have been killed in Israeli attacks in Lebanon since March 2, with many others wounded.
“With her killing, the number of journalists and media workers killed has risen to 27, in addition to a large number of injured,” the syndicate said.
It condemned what it described as Israel’s deliberate targeting of journalists and called on international and Arab press organizations to support Lebanese media workers.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called Khalil’s killing a “crime against humanity.”
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Israel’s targeting of journalists had become a “documented pattern of war crimes.”
According to Lebanon’s state news agency, Israeli forces prevented rescue teams from reaching the wounded journalists during the attack and targeted roads linking Tayri and nearby areas to block emergency access.
The Lebanese Health Ministry accused Israeli forces of firing on the Red Cross ambulance sent to rescue Khalil.
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