Lebanon has taken a historic step towards justice by declaring its acceptance of the International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction to investigate war crimes committed on its territory. Over the past six months, Lebanon has accused Israel of repeatedly violating its sovereignty and committing violations of international law. This was particularly evident during the Israeli army and Hezbollah’s cross-border exchanges of fire while the Israeli war on Gaza continued.
An investigation by Reuters found that these cross-border bombings resulted in the deaths of at least 70 civilians, including children, rescue personnel, and journalists. Among the journalists killed was Issam Al-Abdullah, a Reuters correspondent who was fatally shot by an Israeli tank on October 13. The Lebanese caretaker government voted on Friday to direct the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to submit a declaration to the International Criminal Court, accepting the court’s jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute crimes committed within Lebanese territory since October 7.
The decree also called for including a report from the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research in complaints against Israel to the United Nations. This report focused on the killing of Issam Al-Abdullah and was prepared by analyzing evidence collected from the scene of the incident, including shrapnel, bullet-proof vests, a camera, a tripod, and other materials.
Lebanon is not a member of the International Criminal Court; however, submitting a declaration would give it authority to investigate relevant crimes and hold trials within a specified timeframe. Human Rights Watch praised Lebanon for taking this step towards ensuring justice for war crimes in its country, urging it to swiftly formalize its declaration to the International Criminal Court. The organization emphasized that violators of international law may face consequences in courtrooms if they are held accountable for their actions.