RSF Files ICC Complaint Over Israel’s Alleged War Crimes Against Journalists in Gaza

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has submitted a new complaint to the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing Israel of committing war crimes by deliberately targeting journalists in Gaza. This marks RSF’s fourth such filing to the ICC this year, underscoring growing concerns over the unprecedented toll the ongoing war has taken on members of the press.

RSF’s complaint focuses on recent cases where journalists have been killed or injured, and media offices destroyed, in what the organization believes are systematic and deliberate attacks. According to RSF, at least 100 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the war began in October 2023, many in circumstances that suggest intentional targeting. RSF argues these deaths cannot be viewed as collateral damage, but as part of a broader strategy to silence independent reporting.

The complaint includes evidence related to specific airstrikes, including GPS coordinates and public testimonies, and points to a pattern of conduct that violates international humanitarian law. RSF contends that journalists were either directly targeted or killed despite clear identification as press members. Some were wearing press vests or were killed in or near marked media sites.

RSF Secretary-General Christophe Deloire said these killings “constitute war crimes” and added that continued impunity for these actions endangers press freedom worldwide. The organization insists that journalists must be protected under the Geneva Conventions and should never be targeted for simply doing their job.

Israel has claimed that its military strikes target Hamas fighters or infrastructure, often justifying actions by alleging that militants operate from civilian areas, including media buildings. However, RSF argues that these justifications lack transparency and do not absolve responsibility under international law.

The complaint also raises the alarm about the global precedent that such actions could set. By filing with the ICC, RSF aims not only to seek accountability for crimes already committed but to establish safeguards that prevent future targeting of journalists in conflict zones.

This move comes amid increasing scrutiny of Israel’s military tactics in Gaza and calls for stronger international protection of journalists working in war zones.

documents.