The international organization “Reporters Without Borders” has announced that the International Criminal Court (ICC) intends to investigate Israel’s crimes against journalists in the Palestinian territories, including Gaza.
The organization, based in the French capital Paris, cited Karim Khan, the Chief Prosecutor of the ICC, as stating that “the investigation into violations in the Palestinian territories will include crimes committed against journalists.”
In a statement received from Khan, “Reporters Without Borders” elaborated that the ICC will be examining crimes involving journalists alongside other potential crimes related to the situation in Palestine.
In response, Christophe Deloire, the Secretary-General of “Reporters Without Borders,” emphasized that the killing of journalists in Gaza requires a decisive response from the International Criminal Court.
Deloire also pointed out that at least 79 journalists have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023, including at least 18 who were killed while performing their duties.
In this context, Deloire welcomed the statement by the Chief Prosecutor of the ICC, expressing hope that the Court would make swift progress in its investigation and take necessary concrete actions that have been long-awaited.
“Reporters Without Borders” had previously submitted two requests to the International Criminal Court regarding journalists who were killed in the region since October 7, 2023.
The organization stated that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the journalists included in its request were victims of attacks rising to the level of “war crimes,” and available evidence suggests that the journalists may have been deliberately targeted.
On January 11th and 12th of this year, the International Court of Justice in The Hague held a hearing regarding South Africa’s lawsuit against Israel, accusing it of violating the Genocide Convention in Gaza.
Pending the court’s decision, South Africa requested an urgent interim order from the highest judicial body in the United Nations to immediately suspend Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
As the military operations and conflicts continue on various fronts, today marks the 100th day of the war in Gaza.
There are also warnings of an impending escalation in the conflict with the Houthi rebels in Yemen, potentially expanding the scope of the war in the region.
According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, the number of casualties and injuries in the Gaza Strip due to continuous Israeli airstrikes has risen to 23,843 killed and 60,317 wounded since October 7, 2023.
In its latest statistics published on its official website, the Israeli army confirmed the deaths of 521 officers and soldiers since October 7, 2023.
