An Israeli airstrike hit a vehicle transporting journalists in southern Gaza on Saturday, resulting in two casualties and one injury. A source from Reporters Without Borders tells Al-Jazeera that they believe the vehicle was directly targeted. Al Jazeera journalist Hamza Al Dahdouh and Agence France-Presse journalist Mustafa Thuraya were killed. Hamza Dahdouh was the son of Al-Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) released a statement on the attack reporting that the journalists fell victim to the drone strike while on their way to an assignment in southern Gaza. The organization noted that as of January 7, 2024, at least 79 journalists and media workers have been killed as a result of the current Israel-Hamas conflict. When speaking to Al-Jazeera, CPJ stated that “the continuous killings of journalists and their family members by Israeli army must end”.

A watchdog at Reporters Without Borders, (RSF), in a statement to Al-Jazeera, says that “a single rocket” fell onto the vehicle that was transporting the journalists, insinuating that the attack was intentional. He stated that if the attack were found to have been intentional, this “would qualify as another war crime against journalists for Gaza”.

Journalists are protected under international law, as they are at high risk of being targeted during war times. Under Article 79 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, journalists are granted the same rights and protections granted to civilians during times of international armed conflict, as well as outside of conflict. Civilians are protected under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and Geneva Conventions. The intentional targeting, killing, or torture of civilians and members of the press constitutes a war crime.

The development follows the International Court of Justice’s announcement that proceedings against Israel have been instituted by South Africa, with public hearings to be heard on January 11 and 12, 2024.