Lebanese Journalists Suzanne Khalil and Ghada Dayekh Killed in Israeli Airstrikes

April 09, 2026 – Lebanon –

Two Lebanese journalists have been killed in Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon amid one of the deadliest rounds of bombardment in the country’s ongoing conflict, local media and rights groups reported. The deaths of Suzanne Khalil and Ghada Dayekh have intensified international concern over the safety of media workers in war zones and the protection of civilians under international law.

Khalil, a reporter and presenter with Al‑Manar TV — a network associated with Lebanon’s Hezbollah‑aligned media — was among those killed when Israeli forces struck southern Lebanese areas on April 8, 2026. The attack occurred during heavy aerial bombardment described by local officials as some of the fiercest attacks in weeks, which targeted multiple locations across the south.

In the same wave of strikes, Ghada Dayekh, a veteran radio presenter and reporter for Sawt Al‑Farah, was killed when an Israeli airstrike hit her home in the southern city of Tyre, completely destroying the building, according to her station’s director. Dayekh had worked in Lebanese media for decades and was a well‑known voice on regional airwaves.

Both deaths occurred as part of a wider escalation of hostilities between Israeli forces and Hezbollah‑aligned groups in Lebanon, even amid ceasefire efforts involving international mediators. Civil defence teams reported extensive damage and casualties in the strike zones, with other residents reportedly injured or killed in the bombardment.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and other press freedom advocates condemned the killings, calling them stark examples of the risks faced by journalists operating in conflict zones and violations of international legal protections for civilians and media workers. CPJ emphasised that attacks on journalists undermine the ability of the press to report on crises and endanger free expression.

Lebanese press union officials labelled the deaths as part of a pattern of targeting media personnel and demanded stronger international measures to ensure journalists’ safety. Lebanese government representatives also denounced the airstrikes, describing the civilian toll and destruction as violations of established humanitarian norms and urging global intervention to halt indiscriminate attacks.

The killings of Khalil and Dayekh bring renewed scrutiny to the conditions under which journalists are reporting within active war zones, and highlight calls from human rights groups for accountability and protective guarantees for journalists and civilians alike.

Reference –

https://www.alaraby.co.uk/entertainment_media/%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B4%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B5%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%AA%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%AA%D9%8A%D9%86%C2%A0%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B2%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%AE%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%84-%D9%88%D8%BA%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%8A%D8%AE

https://freepresskashmir.news/2026/04/09/two-journalists-killed-in-israeli-airstrikes-in-lebanon/