Lebanese journalists plan to sue Israel at ICC

BEIRUT

The Syndicate of Lebanese Press Editors plans to join lawsuits demanding the International Criminal Court (ICC) to punish Israel for its “crimes.”

“Israel must be held accountable for its crimes and must not escape punishment,” the syndicate said in a statement following a meeting in the capital Beirut on Monday.

The union said it will join lawsuits that will be filed against Israel before the ICC, without providing any details about the parties that will file the lawsuits.

The syndicate called for joining efforts “to condemn Israel for its atrocities against Palestinian journalists and media workers in Gaza and southern Lebanon.”

At least 112 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, according to Palestinian figures. Three more journalists were killed in Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon in November 2023.

In April 2022, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS), and the International Center for Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) jointly announced filing a complaint with the ICJ, accusing Israel of committing "war crimes" against journalists in the Palestinian territories.

Tension flared along the border between Lebanon and Israel amid intermittent exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah, in the deadliest clashes since the two sides fought a full-scale war in 2006.

The border tension comes amid an Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip that has killed over 30,534 people following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio