Lebanon's prime minister has accused Israel of war crimes after Israeli air strikes killed one journalist and wounded another in southern Lebanon on Wednesday.
The strike killed Amal Khalil, who worked for a Lebanese newspaper, and injured freelance photographer Zeinab Faraj.
Officials in Lebanon say they were deliberately targeted as they sought shelter in a home after an initial air strike hit the vehicle in front of them, killing two men.
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 were travelling together. The two men who died have not been named by officials.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam stated, Targeting journalists, obstructing access to them by relief teams, and even targeting their locations 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.
The IDF stated it does not target journalists and acts to mitigate harm to them while maintaining the safety and security of its troops.
The IDF insisted that it identified two vehicles that had departed from a military structure used by Hezbollah and described the actions taken as necessary for security reasons.
The Lebanese health ministry reported that IDF forces had pursued Khalil and Faraj, further alleging that emergency assistance efforts were obstructed when Israeli troops directed gunfire towards a Lebanese Red Cross ambulance.
Clayton Weimer, from Reporters Without Borders, noted the IDF's neglect towards ambulance access during critical times, highlighting a potential deliberate killing of a journalist.
In a public tribute, journalists gathered at Martyrs Square in Beirut to honor Khalil, who was known for her professional commitment and humanitarian work in the field.
