Non-governmental organizations championed by Human Rights Watch released a letter on Monday addressed to the United Nations-mandated Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, urging that the Commission look into the killing of Lebanese civilians, including the journalist Issam Abdallah, by the Israeli military in October 2023. Abdallah was killed in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon, in which six members of his team were also injured. All members were part of Reporters Without Borders who immediately expressed grave concerns about the incident.

An initial investigation into the October attacks by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) found that the Israeli strikes targeted “clearly identifiable journalists,” in violation of international law. In their letter, HRW and signatories requested the UN Commission look into the possible war crimes of targeting civilians and the press. However, at this stage, the findings of the UNIFIL report have not been made public.

This letter comes as many in Lebanon have been vocal about what they consider to be the targeting of media personnel and that the release of the report is an important step toward justice for the families of those affected. Ramzi Kaiss , a prominent Lebanese researcher at HRW, has stated that the crimes should not go unpunished. The letter also comes as Israel is preparing for a second phase in the war with a massive increase in tension with Hezbollah and by extension Lebanon and Iran, which has been building for months.