Lebanon’s Minister of Information, Paul Morcos, conducted a series of contacts with the relevant authorities to follow up on the incident involving journalists in the Kafaat area while they were carrying out their media duties. He stressed that “journalists must never be subjected to any form of harassment or attack by anyone, for any reason,” emphasizing the need to ensure their protection so they can perform their work freely and safely. He added that “the state alone is the legitimate authority to deal with them in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.”
Minister Morcos also contacted journalist Fatima Fattouhi, offering condolences for the martyrdom of several members of her family, and journalist Daoud Rammal, expressing his condolences for the martyrdom of his brother and his brother’s wife, while also checking on his second brother who was seriously injured following an airstrike that targeted their home in the town of Deir Al-Zahrani.
Earlier this week, Morcos had also contacted several journalists who were subjected to Israeli attacks, which he described as unacceptable under international human rights conventions, particularly the Four Geneva Conventions and their protocols that have established binding customary rules for all humanity. He stressed that “no entity or state can evade these obligations,” calling on the international community to uphold these provisions, prevent attacks against journalists and media institutions, and ensure their protection during wars, as he had emphasized in earlier statements at the beginning of the week.
