A journalists’ union reported that rescue teams were blocked from reaching the rubble of a destroyed building where reporter Amal Khalil remained trapped, according to a statement released by the union on Tuesday.
The union said access to the site was denied by authorities despite repeated requests, citing security restrictions that prevented medical and search teams from entering the area. The building collapsed following an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip on Monday, the union added, based on preliminary reports from local sources.
Amal Khalil, a correspondent for a regional news outlet, was last heard from via voice message sent to colleagues shortly before the strike, in which she described intense bombardment in her neighborhood. The message, verified by two journalists who received it, ended abruptly amid sounds of explosions and structural failure.
The journalists’ union called for an immediate humanitarian corridor to be established to allow rescue operations to resume, emphasizing that international law requires all parties to facilitate access for medical personnel and civil defense teams in conflict zones. No official response had been issued by the governing authority controlling the area as of late Tuesday.
Colleagues of Khalil have launched a social media campaign using her name and press credentials to demand transparency about her status and unimpeded access to the site. The union said it is coordinating with international press freedom organizations to document the obstruction of rescue efforts and to press for accountability.
As of Wednesday morning, no further information about Khalil’s condition had been confirmed, and the site remained inaccessible to independent observers due to ongoing restrictions on movement in the area.
