LONDON: Human Rights Watch on Monday called Lebanon’s decision to legally assess the killing of Lebanese journalists by Israel a “fresh opportunity to achieve justice.”
Nearly two years after a deadly attack by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon killed Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah, the Lebanese Cabinet instructed the Justice Ministry on Thursday to explore legal options to hold Israel accountable for such attacks.
“Israel’s apparently deliberate killing of Issam Abdullah should have served as a crystal clear message for Lebanon’s government that impunity for war crimes begets more war crimes,” said Ramzi Kaiss, Lebanon researcher at HRW.
“Since Issam’s killing, scores of other civilians in Lebanon have been killed in apparently deliberate or indiscriminate attacks that violate the laws of war and amount to war crimes.”
On the second anniversary of Abdallah’s death, Information Minister Paul Morcos submitted a proposal based on a report by the independent Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research examining the circumstances of the killing.
The initiative — backed by President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam — was welcomed by Reporter Without Borders as “an important first step,” which called on Beirut to refer the case to the International Criminal Court for war crimes investigation.
Abdallah, a 37-year-old video journalist, was killed by Israeli tank shells while filming cross-border exchanges.
Six other journalists were wounded, including AFP photographer Christina Assi, who lost a leg.
Independent investigations by HRW, Reuters, AFP, Amnesty International and RSF concluded that the attack was “deliberately” launched by Israeli forces on “clearly visible media members.”
The organizations condemned the attack as a violation of international law and called for a war crimes investigation.
A UNIFIL investigation similarly found that “an Israeli tank killed Reuters reporter Issam Abdallah by firing two 120mm rounds at clearly identifiable journalists,” violating international law.
Despite these findings, no legal proceedings have been initiated in Lebanon or Israel.
Israeli authorities deny wrongdoing, stating they are “reviewing the incident,” while no international inquiry has yet commenced.
HRW said that Issam Abdallah’s death is one among numerous violations documented on Lebanese territory by Israeli forces that could amount to war crimes.
Beyond deliberate attacks on journalists, HRW has recorded repeated assaults on peacekeepers, medics, and civilian infrastructure, including the targeted demolition of homes and the destruction of large areas of critical public services.
The group also reported widespread use of white phosphorus — a wax-like incendiary weapon — by Israeli forces in populated areas, whose deployment is widely considered illegal under international humanitarian law.
The previous Lebanese government requested the ICC extend its jurisdiction over Lebanon, which is not a member state. Under Article 12 of the Rome Statute, non-member states can accept ICC jurisdiction for specific crimes by submitting a declaration.
However, that request was rescinded, and the current government, in office since February 2025, has yet to submit a new application.
Thursday’s announcement represents a decisive step by Lebanon’s new Cabinet toward accountability.
“Lebanon’s government can and should honor victims’ demands for justice by enabling the investigation of unlawful attacks and war crimes that caused untold damage and suffering,” Kaiss said.
