Lebanon’s Council of Ministers has taken steps towards accepting International Criminal Court (ICC) jurisdiction within their territory Friday by instructing their Foreign Affairs Ministry to submit a declaration to the ICC, allowing the court to investigate and prosecute crimes occurring within Lebanese territory since October 7, 2023.

While Lebanon is still not a ratifying member of the ICC Rome Statute, the filing of the declaration grants the court the authority to investigate serious crimes committed in Lebanon in the last six months. Since October 7, Lebanon has accused Israel of repeated breaches of both its sovereignty and international law following clashes between the armed group Hezbollah and Israeli forces.

These ongoing clashes have involved exchanges of missiles across the border, killing around 70 civilians, including the Reuter’s journalist Issam Abdallah. A report by the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research concluded in March that his death resulted from an Israeli tank strike. The decision by Lebanon’s Council of Ministers also includes instructions to include the report in its complaints to the UN about Israel.

Human Rights Watch has documented the alleged targeting of journalists, as well as civilians in Lebanon, and has welcomed the decision by the Council of Ministers. Lama Fakih, the Middle East and North Africa director, said:

The Lebanese government has taken a landmark step toward securing justice for war crimes in the country. The Foreign Affairs Minister should swiftly file a declaration accepting the International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction and create a pathway for victims of war crimes, including those committed by Israeli forces, to obtain justice. This is an important reminder to those who flout their obligations under the laws of war that they may find themselves in the dock.