Al-Jazeera moves to The Hague over dead cameraman
A cameraman from the television station Al-Jazeera dies in the south of the Gaza Strip, presumably in an Israeli drone attack. The media company speaks of "assassination" and wants to refer the matter to the International Criminal Court.
Following the death of a cameraman from the Arab television station Al-Jazeera in the Gaza Strip, the company wants to take the case to the International Criminal Court. According to the Qatar-based broadcaster, the legal department has been instructed to urgently refer the death of Samer Abu Dakka to the court in The Hague. The broadcaster, which is based in Qatar's capital Doha, speaks of murder.
The 45-year-old father of four was buried on Saturday. According to Al-Jazeera, the cameraman was killed in an Israeli drone attack in Khan Yunis in the south of the sealed-off coastal strip. At the time, he was reportedly filming in a refugee shelter that had previously been attacked. Rescue workers were initially unable to reach him due to the fighting - according to the television station, they were ultimately only able to recover his body.
When asked, the Israeli military rejected accusations that it was targeting journalists. "The Israeli armed forces have never deliberately targeted journalists and will never do so," explained a spokesperson. The army pointed out that being in an "active combat zone" is associated with risks. In general, "all operationally feasible measures will be taken to protect both civilians and journalists", it said. The Foreign Press Association (FPA) called on the Israeli military to investigate.
According to the US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), 63 journalists have been killed since the beginning of the Gaza war. Among them are 56 Palestinians and four Israelis as well as three Lebanese, the non-governmental organization announced.
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The Qatar-based Al-Jazeera media company, following the death of cameraman Samer Abu Dakka in the Gaza Strip, has initiated proceedings to bring the case to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, citing an Israeli drone attack as the likely cause. Amidst ongoing tensions and the 63 journalistic fatalities documented since the Gaza war by the US-based Committee to Protect Journalists, Israel's denial of targeting journalists raises questions over accountability.
Source: www.ntv.de
