Caretaker Information Minister Ziad Makary addressed a formal letter to The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Telegraph, Associated Press, Fox News, Reuters, The New York Times, and the BBC.
In his letter, Makary emphasized the impermissibility of their accredited journalists accompanying Israeli occupation forces during their incursions into Lebanese territory, stating that such actions constitute a violation of international laws and lend legitimacy to the hostile activities of the occupation forces.
The letter reads as follows:
“I am writing to formally express the grave concern of the Lebanese government regarding the presence of journalists from your esteemed media outlet embedded with the Israeli army during recent incursions into our territory. The Israeli aggression is in direct violation of international law and represent an unacceptable infringement upon our national sovereignty.
While we respect and uphold the essential principles of press freedom, it is vital to emphasize that press freedom must operate within the bounds of the law and respect for territorial integrity. The practice of embedding journalists with foreign military forces during incursions into another nation’s territory raises serious legal concerns. Specifically:
• Violation of Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter, which prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state. By embedding with an invading army, journalists, whether intentionally or not, may be perceived as providing legitimacy to acts of aggression.
• Breach of the Geneva Conventions (Common Article 1), which obligates all states and individuals not only to refrain from participation in violations of international law but also to ensure that such violations are not facilitated. Embedding with military forces involved in illegal acts of aggression could be interpreted as participation or complicity in such actions.
• Violation of Lebanon’s domestic laws, which, like many nations, includes legislation that protects national security and prohibits unauthorized collaboration with hostile foreign forces engaged in unlawful military operations on our soil and unauthorized entry into its territory (Article 32 of the Law of Entry and Exit of 1962).
• Violation of the IFJ Global Charter of Ethics for Journalists (2019), which requires journalists to “use only fair methods to obtain information” (Article 4). Embedding with military forces during an illegal act of aggression and invasion of our sovereign territory, cannot be considered a fair method of obtaining information.
While we deeply value the role of the press in reporting on conflict and speaking truth to power, the current situation endangers journalists and violates the sovereignty of Lebanon By embedding with invading military forces in these circumstances, your journalists are at risk of becoming indirect participants in hostilities that violates our territorial integrity, thus potentially legitimizing illegal Israeli military action and undermining the safety of all involved.
This is not an attempt to curb press freedom. On the contrary, we recognize the fundamental role of the press in informing the public, particularly in times of conflict. However, it is imperative that such coverage be conducted in a manner that does not normalize or give legitimacy to actions that undermine international law and our national sovereignty.
We urge your media outlet to commit to refraining from embedding your journalists with the Israeli military in any future operations that involve incursions into our territory. While we remain open to facilitating legal and safe reporting from within our borders, we must stress that the government of Lebanon retains the right to take all necessary legal actions to prevent any recurrence of such actions.
We look forward to your swift response and resolution of this matter.”
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