HUMAN rights groups vowed today to file a joint complaint  the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the killing of five journalists in an Israeli air strike in the Gaza Strip at the weekend.

Sunday’s attack hit a media tent outside the main gate of al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, killing Anas al-Sharif, 28, Mohammed Qreiqeh, 33, Ibrahim Zaher, 25, Mohammed Noufal, 29, and Moamen Aliwa, 23. 

Two other Palestinians were also killed.

Gaza’s government media office says at least 238 journalists have been killed since Israel’s war on Gaza began in 2023.

The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights accused those responsible of war crimes and genocide, calling for arrest warrants to be issued and for all killings of journalists in Gaza to be included in the ICC Palestine investigation.

“The evidence is there,” the HRF said. “The legal foundation is unshakable. The jurisdiction is established beyond question. 

“What remains is for the [ICC] to move past statements of ‘grave concern’ and take the decisive step that justice demands: act.”

Protests and memorials were held worldwide following the killings. 

In Ramallah, Palestinians filled the streets, waving flags and carrying photographs of the reporters.

Hundreds of people rallied in Tunisia, while protests took place in Belfast, Dublin, Berlin and the Netherlands. Earlier, demonstrations were held in Washington, London, Oslo and Stockholm.

In Washington, protesters gathered outside a building housing offices of NBC, Fox News, ITN and the Guardian. 

Hazami Barmada, one of the organisers, said the media had helped create “public consent for the murder of these journalists … by making excuses for the Israeli government to target and kill them.”

Press freedom group Pen America said the killings “raise grave concerns” and “could amount to a war crime.”

Australian journalists’ union the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance condemned the targeting of reporters and called for Israel to lift its ban on international journalists entering Gaza.

Gideon Levy, a columnist for Israeli daily Haaretz, described Mr Sharif as a “courageous journalist” and said his killing was part of a longstanding pattern of Israel targeting reporters it finds threatening.

“Israel cannot shut up Gaza,” he said. 

Gaza’s Health Ministry said today that at least 89 Palestinians had been killed and 513 injured in Israeli attacks over the previous 24 hours. 

Five more, including two children, died from starvation, bringing Gaza’s hunger-related death toll to 227. 

The World Health Organisation says 1,655 aid seekers have been killed since May 27.