Minister of Informatio Paul Morcos, visited the International Committee of the Red Cross in Lebanon, at its headquarters in Hamra, where he met with Head of the ICRC delegation in Lebanon Agnes Dhur, in the presence of Humanitarian Affairs Coordinator at ICRC Shawky Amine Eddine.
After the meeting, Minister Morcos said: "Today we visited the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Lebanon to thank them for the rescue and emergency operations, which they significantly contributed to during the past week. We also extend our thanks and appreciation to the Lebanese Red Cross for their joint efforts with them. We had previously visited the Lebanese Red Cross and thanked them for their significant work, and today, we are visiting the International Committee of the Red Cross in Lebanon, which collabroates with us, as the Ministry of Information, on several initiatives, including health education, awareness and training."
Minister Morcos added: "During the meeting, we discussed the issue of the repeated Israeli attacks on journalists and ways to limit and avoid them as much as possible. Unfortunately, they are often treated as military targets, which is contrary to Article 79 of the First Protocol additional to the Geneva Convention of 1977, which has become customary law binding on all humanity."
Morcos said: "Among the steps aimed at protecting journalists, we agreed first on exchanging the evidence available to us in order to strengthen case files for the protection of journalists. The second matter is to begin establishing a joint mechanism for effective and rapid cooperation in the event, God forbid, of any assault against journalists. Therefore, this proposed agreement will be finalized in the coming hours."
The Minister also pointed out the "intensification of training workshops for journalists on how to protect themselves and take preventive measures while in high-risk areas, as well as the launch of an awareness campaign to complement the current one in the media concerning all civilians." He also emphasized the "completion of this campaign, which we will initiate, specifically addressing journalists in terms of protection, prevention, and response in case they are exposed to danger, God forbid."
While thanking the International Committee of the Red Cross for the "significant efforts it is making," Minister Morcos said: "We discussed another point as a prelude to developing it further later on. The issue of strengthening the evidence and proof available to journalists, especially those who were subjected to Israeli attacks, was addressed, so that the International Committee of the Red Cross can refer this evidence and documentation to the Israeli side, which is already aware of it, with the aim of contributing to confirming that these attacks targeted journalists entitled to protection."
After the meeting, Minister Morcos said: "Today we visited the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Lebanon to thank them for the rescue and emergency operations, which they significantly contributed to during the past week. We also extend our thanks and appreciation to the Lebanese Red Cross for their joint efforts with them. We had previously visited the Lebanese Red Cross and thanked them for their significant work, and today, we are visiting the International Committee of the Red Cross in Lebanon, which collabroates with us, as the Ministry of Information, on several initiatives, including health education, awareness and training."
Minister Morcos added: "During the meeting, we discussed the issue of the repeated Israeli attacks on journalists and ways to limit and avoid them as much as possible. Unfortunately, they are often treated as military targets, which is contrary to Article 79 of the First Protocol additional to the Geneva Convention of 1977, which has become customary law binding on all humanity."
Morcos said: "Among the steps aimed at protecting journalists, we agreed first on exchanging the evidence available to us in order to strengthen case files for the protection of journalists. The second matter is to begin establishing a joint mechanism for effective and rapid cooperation in the event, God forbid, of any assault against journalists. Therefore, this proposed agreement will be finalized in the coming hours."
The Minister also pointed out the "intensification of training workshops for journalists on how to protect themselves and take preventive measures while in high-risk areas, as well as the launch of an awareness campaign to complement the current one in the media concerning all civilians." He also emphasized the "completion of this campaign, which we will initiate, specifically addressing journalists in terms of protection, prevention, and response in case they are exposed to danger, God forbid."
While thanking the International Committee of the Red Cross for the "significant efforts it is making," Minister Morcos said: "We discussed another point as a prelude to developing it further later on. The issue of strengthening the evidence and proof available to journalists, especially those who were subjected to Israeli attacks, was addressed, so that the International Committee of the Red Cross can refer this evidence and documentation to the Israeli side, which is already aware of it, with the aim of contributing to confirming that these attacks targeted journalists entitled to protection."
