BEIRUT, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Tuesday voiced deep concern over the safety of journalists in Lebanon, saying reporters covering conflict zones must be protected under international humanitarian law as Israeli attacks continued across the country.
After meeting Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos in Beirut, ICRC Head of Delegation in Lebanon Agnes Dhur said journalists, like all civilians, are protected under the Geneva Conventions and must be able to work safely.
"We are deeply concerned about any situation in which journalists may be harmed while carrying out their duties. We reaffirm the importance of ensuring their safety and protection in all circumstances," Dhur said, according to Lebanon's National News Agency.
She described the talks with Morcos as important and constructive, adding that Lebanon continues to face serious humanitarian challenges nationwide.
Morcos thanked the ICRC and the Lebanese Red Cross for their rescue and emergency response efforts over the past week and for their continued humanitarian work.
The two sides also discussed repeated Israeli attacks on journalists and agreed to share evidence and establish a rapid-response cooperation mechanism aimed at reducing such incidents, Morcos said.
On April 22, 43-year-old journalist Amal Khalil was killed in an Israeli strike in the southern Lebanese village of at-Tiri. Her death follows reports from human rights groups indicating that Khalil had previously been targeted with direct death threats sent via WhatsApp from Israeli phone numbers.
Khalil is the ninth journalist killed by Israeli forces in Lebanon during 2026. This latest fatality raises the total number of media workers killed in the country to 27 since the start of the conflict in Gaza in October 2023.
Meanwhile, Israel continued its strikes on Lebanon. The Lebanese Public Health Ministry's Emergency Operations Center said the death toll from Israeli attacks since March 2 had risen to 2,534, with 7,863 people wounded.
