The targeting of the journalist Amal Khalil is not an isolated incident but part of a long history of sacrifices made by journalists and photographers during crises and wars.

The targeting of Lebanese journalists cannot be treated as a passing event. It places media and press crews directly in the line of fire, simply for carrying out their most basic professional duties.

The two most recent wars in Lebanon witnessed the killing of a number of journalists. According to recorded reports, more than 12 to 22 media workers and photographers were killed, including correspondents, photographers, and technicians, during the period starting from the war referred to as “Gaza Support” in October 2023, followed by what has been called the “Khamenei War” in March 2026.

Journalist Amal Khalil (Social Media)

With every journalist who has fallen and whose blood has recorded the history of their targeting, there is a long story that reflects their professional journey, intertwined with the chronic pain of a nation and an open conflict that is long overdue to end. This raises a question: who are the journalists who were killed?

The 2026 war

This phase of what has been called the “Khamenei War” witnessed the clear targeting of a number of media professionals:

28 March 2026: three journalists were killed after their car was targeted in Jezzine. They are:

Ali Shuaib, correspondent for Al Manar TV

Fatima Ftouni, correspondent for Al Mayadeen TV

Mohammad Ftouni, cameraman

22 April 2026: Amal Khalil, a journalist at Al Akhbar newspaper, was killed following an Israeli airstrike in the town of Tayri.

The 2024 war

The period known as the “Gaza Support” war was not much different from the most recent war in terms of targeting journalists and media crews, especially as Hezbollah had drawn Lebanon into the conflict without any official state decision. Some of the most prominent journalists killed during that time include:

13 October 2023: Issam Abdallah, a cameraman for Reuters, was killed by Israeli tank shelling in Alma al-Shaab.

21 November 2023: three media workers were killed while covering events near the town of Tayr Harfa in southern Lebanon:

Farah Omar, correspondent for Al Mayadeen TV

Rabi’ Al Maamari, cameraman for Al Mayadeen TV

Hussein Aqil, media assistant

A solidarity vigil for media martyrs at Martyrs’ Square in central Beirut (Houssam Chbaro).

23 September 2024: Hadi Al Sayed, a journalist for Al Mayadeen Online, was killed in an Israeli airstrike that targeted his home in the town of Borj Rahal near Tyre.

11 October 2024: Hussein Safa, a photographer for the Houna Lebanon website, was killed in an airstrike in Mayfadoun.

16 October 2024: Mohammad Ghadboun, a photographer, was killed in an airstrike on Qana

Mohammad Bitar, a photographer, was killed in an airstrike on Nabatieh

25 October 2024: Israeli warplanes carried out an airstrike directly targeting a hotel hosting media crews in the town of Hasbaya in southern Lebanon, resulting in casualties and injuries among them. Three were killed:

Wissam Qassem, cameraman for Al Manar TV

Ghassan Najjar, cameraman for Al Mayadeen TV

Mohammad Reda, broadcast engineer for Al Mayadeen TV

In this way, what is often called the profession of hardship becomes a constant frontline with danger. The risks go beyond covering wars and conflicts to facing deliberate targeting, assassination, and killing.

From the civil war to repeated Israeli attacks, and through ongoing security unrest, journalists continue to pay a heavy price. Reporters and photographers carry out their mission armed only with cameras and pens instead of weapons, moving forward while those who carry guns remain hidden among civilians.