FADIA JUMAA

Lebanon- Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon continue. Israel often targets journalists to prevent them from reporting the truth.

Journalist received a death threat

Amal Khalil, a Lebanese journalist Al Akhbara, daily Arabic language newspaper based in Beirut, has been covering the war in southern Lebanon. She received a death threat message sent from an Israeli number.

In a statement, Joseph Al-Qassifi, the head of the Lebanese Press Editors’ Syndicate, condemned the Israeli threat against Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil, stressing that the death threat is a violation of international conventions protecting journalists.

“On behalf of the Syndicate Council and myself, we are bringing this matter to the General Union of Arab Journalists, the International Federation of Journalists and relevant international bodies, so they are aware of what the Zionists are planning against every journalist performing their professional duty, shedding light on the deliberate crimes of the Israeli war machine against civilians in Gaza, the West Bank, and southern Lebanon. This issue will be monitored closely.”

‘Israel has killed many journalists’

“On August 25, about three weeks ago, I received a message sent from an Israeli number saying, ‘We know where you are, where you and your family live. If you want your head to remain attached to your body, you must leave Lebanon.’ Israel has targeted and killed many journalists in southern Lebanon, including Issam Abdallah, since Israel started a war on the Gaza Strip on October 7,” said Amal Khalil in an interview with NuJINHA.

“Two Israeli shells targeted a gathering of reporters in the town of Yaroun on the Lebanese border in November 2023. I was one of the reporters attending that gathering. I documented the attack. Two weeks later, an Israeli strike on southern Lebanon killed two journalists reporting for the Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen TV.”

Israel has targeted journalists and threatened them to leave the south since the beginning of the war, Amal Khalil said. “Despite all the threats, we journalists never leave southern Lebanon. We keep doing journalism along with many of our colleagues, who are determined to stay in southern Lebanon.”

‘I will keep doing journalism’

Drones often fly over our heads, Amal Khalil noted while talking about their working conditions. “Despite Israeli bombardments, air strikes and dangerous conditions, we do our best to report what has been going on in southern Lebanon. We know that the enemy will not hesitate to target us. I know I may be targeted, but they will not stop me from doing my profession. The threat messages of the enemy will never intimidate my colleagues and me. I am not afraid of Israeli threats.”