Reporters Without Borders calls for ICC probe into Israeli air strike

The press freedom advocacy group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) urged International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to probe Israel's bombing of a building that housed offices of foreign media outlets in Gaza.

"Deliberately targeting media outlets constitutes a war crime," RSF secretary-general Christophe Deloire said in a statement on Sunday.

"By intentionally destroying media outlets, the Israel Defence Forces are not only inflicting unacceptable material damage on news operations. They are also, more broadly, obstructing media coverage of a conflict that directly affects the civilian population. We call on the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor to determine whether these airstrikes constitute war crimes."

Israel had bombed the 12-storey tower on Saturday after giving journalists an hour to evacuate the building, which hosted the offices of the Associated Press, Middle East Eye and Al Jazeera amongst others.

The Israeli government has claimed - without evidence - that the building was being used by Hamas. Washington expressed concern for the safety of journalists on Saturday without denouncing the Israeli attack.