Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission replies to Reporters Without Borders

The Berne-based International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission (IHFFC) has replied to a Reporters Without Borders request on 1 August that it should investigate the recent Israeli air strikes on journalists and media infrastructure in Lebanon on the grounds that they violated international humanitarian law. Reporters Without Borders asked the commission to request authorisation from the two parties concerned, Israel and Lebanon, to conduct an investigation. In its reply, dated 16 August, the commission said it was very concerned by events. “Deliberate attacks against journalists and infrastructure belonging to or used by the press constitute a serious violation of international law,” the reply said. “Journalists have the right to perform their role in territories where fighting is taking place,” the commission said, adding that it was doing everything possible to ensure that humanitarian law was respected in this war. Reporters Without Borders commented: “We very much hope that Lebanon and Israel will authorise the commission to fulfil its principle role, which is to help combat impunity by objectively and officially verifying whether violations of humanitarian law have been committed.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11.08.2006 Israel again strikes at media installations Reporters Without Borders today condemned Israel for new attacks on Lebanese media installations, after troops fired yesterday at a national TV relay station in Beirut, slightly injuring two people, and shortly afterwards fired missiles at national TV installations at Amshit (40 km north of the city) that had earlier been bombed on 26 July. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22.07.2006 Israeli air strikes destroy TV antennae and kill an LBC technician Reporters Without Borders voiced outrage today at the Israeli military's decision to strike telecommunication installations in Lebanon, thereby depriving millions of Lebanese citizens of TV news and information, especially the broadcasts of the commercial Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation (LBC). An LBC technician was killed when installations in Satka, in East Beirut, were attacked. "We are outraged by the death of an LBC technician in these air strikes, which were carried out without taking account of the need to protect media employees and other civilians. Media installations may under no circumstances be treated as military targets," the press freedom organisation said. "After bombing Hezbollah's TV station Al-Manar, the Israeli authorities are stepping up the destruction of Lebanese media installations and means of communication, and this is absolutely scandalous." "We call on the Israeli prime minister to put an immediate end to the air strikes against the media, telecommunication installations and any other targets that could endanger the lives of journalists and media workers," Reporters Without Borders added. The Israeli airforce today struck at telecommunications antennae near Beirut and in northern Lebanon. The air strikes were above all targeted at LBC, whose broadcasts were interrupted. Air strikes at Terbol, in northern Lebanon, resulted in the broadcasts of LBC, Avenir TV and Al-Manar being cut in various parts of the country. LBC technician Sleimane Chidiac was killed during an air strike on the station's installations in Satka. An Al-Jazeera TV crew also came under fire from the Israeli airforce while covering the bombardments in southern Lebanon. Reporters Without Borders intends to ask the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission (IHFFC) to investigate these air strikes to determine if they violated international humanitarian law. The IHFFC was created in 1991 under Protocol I of the Geneva Conventions to look into any alleged serious violation of international humanitarian law.