Lebanese journalists syndicate to take Israel to ICC over killing of media workers

The Lebanese Press Syndicate will take Israel to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the killing of media workers in the war on Gaza and Lebanon.

The journalists' union announced plans to participate in lawsuits to be filed before the ICC against Israel but did not say which parties will be involved in the legal action.

Israel's war on Gaza has left at least 30,000 dead, while its bombing of southern Lebanon killed 271 people, including 42 civilians, by the end of February, while dozens of Palestinian and Lebanese journalists are among the victims.

"Israel must be held accountable for its crimes and must not escape punishment," the syndicate said in a statement after a meeting in the capital Beirut on Monday, according to Anadolu.

The journalists called for joined efforts "to condemn Israel for its atrocities against Palestinian journalists and media workers in Gaza and southern Lebanon".

Since 7 October, at least 115 journalists have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza and southern Lebanon.

The Committee to Protect Journalists’ preliminary investigations found that at least 94 journalists and media workers were killed in Israeli attacks since October 7 – and over 30,500 have been killed since, mostly women and children.

As of Tuesday, 89 Palestinian journalists and three Lebanese journalists were confirmed to be killed, while sixteen journalists were reported injured.

Four journalists were reported missing, 25 were reported to have been arrested, and many were facing multiple assaults, threats, cyberattacks, censorship, and killings of family members.

International news organisations have signed an open letter standing in solidarity with journalists in Gaza, where over 100 media persons have been killed since October 7https://t.co/4jUUT7Tg7K

— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) March 3, 2024

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS), and the International Centre for Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) jointly announced they were going to be filing a complaint with the ICJ, accusing Israel of committing "war crimes" against media workers in the Palestinian territories.

Tensions have also been flaring along the border between Lebanon and Israel amid intermittent exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah, where at least 300 Lebanese people are estimated to have been killed in Israeli attacks since the cross-border fire first erupted on 8 October.