THE HAGUE, Netherlands – An international media freedom group said Wednesday that 34 journalists were slain in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, accusing both sides of probable war crimes.
Reporters Without Borders has asked the International Criminal Court to look into the deaths. The organization stated that it has previously filed a complaint against Israel for the deaths of eight Palestinian journalists killed during Israel’s bombardment of civilian areas in the Gaza Strip, as well as an Israeli journalist killed during Hamas’ surprise strike in southern Israel.
“The scale, seriousness, and recurring nature of international crimes targeting journalists, particularly in Gaza, calls for a priority investigation by the ICC prosecutor,” said Christophe Deloire, director-general of the group known in French as RSF. The organization is based in France.
It is the group’s third complaint alleging war crimes against Palestinian journalists in Gaza since 2018. Israel claims it goes to great lengths to avoid harming civilians and accuses Hamas of endangering them by operating in residential areas.
The organization also highlights “the deliberate, total or partial destruction of the premises of more than 50 media outlets in Gaza” since Israel waged war on Hamas following the militant group’s violent Oct. 7 incursion.
The Committee to Protect Journalists, another media freedom organization, said Wednesday that it was looking into claims of journalists “killed, injured, detained, or missing” in the battle, including in Lebanon. According to preliminary reports, at least 31 journalists and media workers were killed.
A Media Freedom Group Accuses Israel And Hamas Of War Crimes And Reports Deaths Of 34 Journalists
“CPJ emphasizes that journalists are civilians doing important work during times of crisis and must not be targeted by warring parties,” said Sherif Mansour, the Middle East and North Africa program coordinator for the New York-based NGO.
The ICC’s prosecution division is already looking into Israeli and Palestinian officials’ acts dating back to the 2014 Israel-Hamas war. The investigation may also look into charges of crimes committed during the present conflict.
During a visit to the Rafah border crossing on Sunday, International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan urged Israel to follow international law while refraining from accusing the country of war crimes. He described Hamas’ Oct. 7 strike as a grave violation of international humanitarian law.
A Media Freedom Group Accuses Israel And Hamas Of War Crimes And Reports Deaths Of 34 Journalists
Israel claims the ICC lacks jurisdiction over the dispute because Palestine is not a sovereign state. Israel is not a party to the treaty that established the International Court of Justice, nor is it one of its 123 member states.
According to Reporters Without Borders, strikes on a group of journalists in southern Lebanon earlier this month, which killed one, were intentional rather than accidental, and the journalists were identified as members of the press.
The organization released preliminary findings from an ongoing investigation into two strikes that killed Reuters videographer Issam Abdallah and injured six journalists from Reuters, AFP, and Al Jazeera on Oct. 13 while they were covering clashes on the southern Lebanese border.
SOURCE – AP
