RSF files fifth ICC complaint against Israel for killing Gaza journalists

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has filed a new complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) against the Israeli regime over its attacks on journalists in Gaza.

The new filing, announced on Tuesday, marks RSF’s fifth submission since Israel launched its genocidal offensive on the besieged enclave on October 7, 2023.

The case details the targeting of 30 journalists between May 2024 and August 2025, with 25 killed and 5 wounded.

RSF said the journalists were deliberately targeted by Israeli forces due to their reporting or while performing their professional duties.

“The conclusion is clear: in the vast majority of cases, journalists are targeted because of their journalistic work or while carrying it out,” the complaint reads.

Antoine Bernard, RSF’s director for advocacy, strategic litigation, and assistance, said Israel consistently works to silence the press.

“We are deeply shocked by the continued impunity enjoyed by the perpetrators of these crimes due to the absence of necessary judicial and political measures,” he stated.

Bernard called on the ICC to “hold firm despite threats, pressure and sanctions, and to do its duty, nothing but its duty, and its entire duty. Crimes against journalists must be punished.”

The complaint also notes that Israeli strikes frequently hit journalists at their homes, putting their families at risk and increasing the death toll.

Photojournalist killed in Israeli bombing of family home in Gaza

One more Palestinian journalist has been killed along with several members of her family in an Israeli airstrike on their home in Gaza City.

Fatima Hassouna, a 25-year-old journalist, was killed along with 10 relatives, including her pregnant sister Alaa, in an Israeli airstrike on April 16, 2025.

On December 14, 2024, journalist Mohammed Jaber al-Qarinawi, 30, was killed with his wife and three children in an Israeli attack.

Ola al-Dahdouh, a 28-year-old reporter, was killed by the regime on May 31, 2024, alongside her 18-month-old son, husband, and other relatives.

Photojournalist Mohammed Issa Abu Saada, 31, was killed with several family members during an Israeli bombing on August 6, 2024.

Over 200 journalists demand unrestricted media access to Gaza amid Israeli siege

Hundreds of prominent international journalists have called for an immediate and unhindered foreign press access to the besieged Gaza Strip

The complaint also states that Israeli forces target known journalist gathering sites, including restaurants and cafes with limited internet access, reporters’ tents, and most recently, Al-Nasser Hospital.

Yahya Sobeih, Moamen Abu Alouf, and cameraman Ahmad al-Louh were killed in “double bombings,” in which an initial Israeli strike was followed by a second, targeting rescuers and journalists covering the aftermath.

Israel has also falsely branded many Palestinian reporters, such as Anas al-Sharif, Moamen Abu Alouf, and Hossam Shabat, as terrorists.

According to RSF, the Israeli regime has pursued a smear campaign against Gaza journalists, including assigning deadly labels to them.

In a joint statement on August 12, four United Nations special rapporteurs called the practice “a well-known, shameful tactic by the regime to silence the truth about heinous crimes committed in Gaza."

RSF’s latest ICC complaint was submitted two days after representatives from more than 20 governments attended a meeting on the situation of Gaza journalists, convened by RSF on September 24 on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

The gathering reaffirmed Israel’s actions against civilians, particularly journalists, and highlighted the criminal responsibility of perpetrators already cited in RSF’s previous ICC filings.

RSF submitted its first complaint on October 31, 2023, followed by filings on December 22, 2023, May 27, 2024, and September 24, 2024.

Since Israel launched its genocidal war on Gaza, it has murdered 253 journalists and reporters covering the regime’s crimes against Palestinians.

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