A media freedom group accuses Israel and Hamas of war crimes after knowing that over 30 journalists were killed because of the conflict in the Middle East.
The Israeli Iron Dome missile defence system (L) intercepts rockets (R) fired by the Hamas movement towards southern Israel from Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip as seen in the sky above the Gaza Strip overnight on May 14, 2021. - Israel bombarded Gaza with artillery and air strikes on Friday, May 14.
The Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an international non-profit media freedom organization, said that it is urging the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate Hamas and Israel.
Media Freedom Group Accuses Hamas, Israel of War Crimes
According to Yahoo News, RSF said that it already filed a complaint with the ICC regarding the eight Palestinian journalists who died because of the bombardment activities of Israel in the Gaza Strip's civilian areas.
The media freedom group also mentioned the Israeli journalist who was killed by Hamas terrorists 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 RSF Director-General Christophe Deloire via the Associated Press.
Aside from the deaths of Israeli and Palestinian journalists, RSF's complaint also highlights the deliberate, partial, or total destruction of over 50 media outlets in the Gaza Strip.
The media freedom organization said these media facilities were destroyed ever since Israel declared war against Hamas after the terrorist group's deadly attack on Oct. 7.
Read Also: Israel Says Airstrike Killed Another Hamas Commander as Ground War Continues
Other Media Freedom Organizations Call for Investigation
The Israeli flag is place close to a wall plastered with images of Israeli hostages snatched by the Palestinian militant group Hamas last week in a surprise attack into Israel, outside the Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv on October 16, 2023. The Israeli military on October 16, raised the figure to 199 people confirmed to have been abduced.
Aside from the France-based media freedom organizations, other similar agencies are also voicing their concerns.
These include the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ); a NYC-based American non-profit organization.
On Wednesday, Nov. 1, CPJ said that it started investigating the cases of journalists who were injured, detained, kidnapped, or killed in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
"CPJ emphasizes that journalists are civilians doing important work during times of crisis and must not be targeted by warring parties," said CPJ's Middle East Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour.
The International Criminal Court clarified that it is already investigating the actions of Palestinian and Israeli officials as early as 2014.
However, the ICC explained that this investigation will now consider crime allegations that the two countries are facing during the ongoing war.
Related Article: Top UN Official Resigns Over Palestinian 'Genocide' in Gaza, Calls Out Body's Failure To Stop Chaos
