IRGC missile, drone attacks should be persecuted at ICC as war crimes, Israeli NGO says

As the United States and Iran engage in negotiations for a permanent end to their conflict, a Jerusalem-based legal non-governmental organization is pressing international bodies to keep criminal accountability on the agenda. The Jerusalem Institute of Justice (JIJ) has released a report arguing that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) campaign of missiles and drones against Israel and other regional states should be investigated as potential war crimes.

The organization is calling on the International Criminal Court (ICC), UN mechanisms, and European prosecutors to assess individual responsibility within Iran's command structure. The JIJ report covers the period from February 28 to early April, alleging that Iran launched more than 2,300 missiles and 5,350 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at Israel and neighboring countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iraqi Kurdistan, Qatar, Oman, Cyprus, and Turkey. These figures are the organization's compilation from open-source reporting, official releases, and an internal database.

The report details the impact on Israel, stating the campaign resulted in at least 20 deaths and over 7,000 injuries. It also caused widespread disruption to schools, air travel, workplaces, and civilian infrastructure. The JIJ argues that the scale and design of the attacks, particularly high-volume salvos intended to overwhelm air-defense systems, indicate an unlawful strategy of indiscriminate fire and civilian terrorization, rather than solely targeting military objectives. The report acknowledges that battlefield attribution, casualty reporting, and distinguishing between direct impacts and debris remain incomplete in several examined countries.

The legal argument for prosecution hinges on two potential avenues. First, JIJ contends that missile debris and alleged airspace violations in Jordan and Cyprus could provide the ICC jurisdiction to examine the broader campaign, as both nations are parties to the Rome Statute. Second, the organization points to universal jurisdiction laws in countries like Germany, France, and Sweden as possible routes for domestic investigations into alleged war crimes committed by the IRGC.

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The report says the campaign left at least 20 people dead and more than 7,000 injured in Israel, while causing widespread disruption to schools, air travel, workplaces, and civilian infrastructure.