Accusation of “murder”
Al-Jazeera moves to The Hague because of dead cameraman
December 17, 2023, 2:37 a.m
A cameraman for the Al-Jazeera television station dies in the south of the Gaza Strip, presumably in an Israeli drone strike. The media company speaks of “murder” and wants to involve the International Criminal Court.
After the death of a cameraman from the Arabic 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 team 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 strike in Khan Yunis in the south of the sealed-off coastal strip. At the time he is said to have been filming in a refugee accommodation that was said to have previously been attacked. Because of the fighting, rescue workers were initially unable to reach him – ultimately, according to the television station, they were only able to recover his body.
When asked, the Israeli military rejected allegations of targeting journalists. “The Israeli Defense Forces have never intentionally targeted journalists and will never do so,” a spokesman said. The army pointed out that staying in an “active combat zone” is associated with risks. In general, “all operationally feasible measures would be taken to protect both civilians and journalists,” it said. The Foreign Press Association (FPA) called on the Israeli military to investigate.
Since the start of the Gaza war, 63 journalists have been killed, according to the US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). The non-governmental organization said there were 56 Palestinians, four Israelis and three Lebanese among them.