Following calls from rights groups for Israel to be investigated for potential war crimes, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged Israel to complete and release the findings of its investigation into artillery strikes that resulted in the death of a journalist and injuries to six others in Lebanon. Blinken emphasized the importance of Israel conducting a thorough investigation into the October 13 strike and expressed his admiration for journalists working in dangerous areas.
Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and Reuters and AFP news agencies have all conducted separate investigations into the strikes, concluding that an Israeli tank was responsible. Israel’s military has stated that it is reviewing the circumstances of the strikes but has not yet released any findings from its investigations.
HRW described the attacks as deliberate and potentially a war crime, stating that the journalists were clearly identifiable as members of the media and were not near any military targets. Amnesty International also called for an investigation into the potential war crime, based on their findings of a direct attack on civilians. The Committee to Protect Journalists has reported that at least 63 journalists have been killed since the start of the war in Gaza.