The Lebanese journalist killed in an Israeli attack on Wednesday had previously spoken of receiving a threat via an unidentified Israeli phone number that she would be killed if she did not leave southern Lebanon, where she had long been based and worked.

Amal Khalil, 43, who worked for al-Akhbar newspaper and had described herself as supporting the resistance against Israel “whether communist or Islamist”, was killed in a sustained attack by Israeli forces in which a colleague was also wounded.

Rescuers attempting to dig her out of the rubble of a building were also targeted and prevented from providing life-saving assistance.

Khalil was the ninth journalist killed in Lebanon this year. Last month three journalists were killed in a double-tap attack.

Meanwhile, an investigation by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz has found that Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon have been involved in widespread looting.