IFJ: At least twenty-three Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza

BRUSSELS, Oct 26 (KUNA) -- At least twenty-three Palestinian journalists have been killed, several have been injured and others are missing during the on-going Israeli aggression in Gaza.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) Thursday condemned the killings, continued attacks on journalists, and called for an immediate investigation into their deaths.
The IFJ published the names and the circumstances under which the Palestinian journalists were killed by Israeli occupation forces.
The Brussels-based IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 146 countries.
Meanwhile, the IFJ also called Thursday on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate the killing of the Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh's.
If citizens are to have any faith in the system of international law enforcement, it is vital that Shireen's case is heard in the Hague, said the IFJ in a press release.
It said that Israeli soldiers took Shireen Abu Akleh's life without cause, according to a report published by the United Nations on October 16th.
The report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, was submitted to the UN General Council in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution S-30/1.
The UN report ends its highly detailed assessment of Abu Akleh's death: "the Commission concludes on reasonable grounds that the Israeli security forces used lethal force without justification under international human rights law and intentionally or recklessly violated the right to life of Shireen Abu Akleh." The UN investigation further states that it has identified the military unit from which the lethal bullets were fired, he Duvdevan Unit.
The report's authors also say that they know (although don't disclose) the name of the commanding officer.
It notes that the willful killing of a protected person is a war crime, as defined by the Geneva Convention.
The IFJ says that the Israeli legal system lacks willingness and credibility to properly investigate the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh, as well as the cases of other Palestinian media workers.
IFJ General Secretary Antony Bellanger said: "the conclusions of this report are devastating, and provide irrefutable justification for the IFJ's campaign for this case to be heard at the International Criminal Court.
The IFJ made its complaint about this case to the Court over a year ago. Prosecutor Karim Khan must now make this a priority." (end) nk.mb