Lebanon accuses Israel of targeting journalist killed in airstrike

Lebanon accuses Israel of targeting journalist killed in airstrike11 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleTom McArthurandHelen Sullivan,BBC NewsAPAmal Khalil was a journalist with the Lebanese newspaper Al-AkhbarLebanon's prime minister has accused Israel of war crimes after Israeli airstrikes killed one journalist and wounded another in southern Lebanon on Wednesday. Amal Khalil and Zeinab Faraj were deliberately targeted as they sought shelter in a home after an initial airstrike hit the vehicle in front of them, killing two men, Lebanese officials say.The officials also accused the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) of intentionally targeting a marked ambulance as it tried to reach the journalists in the village of Tayri. The IDF denied that it was preventing rescue teams from reaching the area and said it did not target journalists. Journalists Khalil, 43, who worked for Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, and Faraj, a freelance photographer, were travelling together. The two men who died have not been named by officials.Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said: "Targeting journalists, obstructing access to them by relief teams, and even targeting their locations again after these teams arrive constitutes described war crimes."He accused Israel of repeatedly targeting media workers in southern Lebanon in what he described as "an established approach". Salam offered condolences to Khalil's family and said that Lebanon would "pursue the crimes before the competent international forums". In a statement, the IDF said it "does not target journalists and acts to mitigate harm to them while maintaining the safety and security of its troops".The IDF said it identified two vehicles that had "departed from a military structure used by Hezbollah".One of the vehicles had approached Israeli troops in a manner that was an "immediate threat" after crossing a "forward defence line", violating a ceasefir...