Lawyers representing the owner of the tower in Gaza , which housed local media outlets and was destroyed by the Israeli army, have confirmed that they have appealed to the International Criminal Court.
The lawsuit, a copy of which was obtained by AFP, said the May 15 destruction of the Associated Press and Al Jazeera offices was a “war crime”.
“This building was destroyed without any motive. “Therefore, this is a war crime,” Jill Dever, one of the plaintiff’s lawyers, told AFP from The ICC headquarters in The Hague.about:blank
The Israeli military said Hamas military equipment was inside the high-rise building, which was hit by fighter jets.
However, the French lawyer refuted these allegations. “This alleged presence of armed resistance is nowhere to be found. “We deny any credibility in the words of the generals and Israeli politicians.”
According to Dever, attacks on the media are systematic in the Gaza Strip. The lawsuit filed refers to the destruction of some twenty media offices.
Jawad Mehdi, owner of the Jala Tower, said on May 15 that an Israeli intelligence officer had warned him before the airstrike that he had one hour to evacuate the building.
For Dever, the symbolism of this first appeal before the ICC is strong and shows the Palestinians that the crimes “committed in Gaza will all be tried in The Hague.”
The International Criminal Court has no obligation to follow up on appeals brought before its prosecutor, who can decide independently which appeal will be brought before the judges of the Court.
