The article should therefore be amended to include this Lebanese perspective from the ground, particularly given that the Israeli forces have been repeatedly targeting civilian infrastructure and civilians themselves. Otherwise, the article presents false Israeli allegations without informing readers that the Lebanese Army investigated the claims, and according to a security source who spoke to The National News, found no evidence to support them.
To the CP24 team,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (www.cjpme.org) regarding the article published today titled: “Israeli warning prompts call from Christian leaders in Lebanon for quick international action.”
The article reports that the Israeli forces issued a displacement order for the entirety of the southern Lebanese city of Tyre - including the Christian Quarter, nearby towns and villages, and Palestinian refugee camps - forcing hundreds of thousands of residents to be displaced. Unlike previous displacement threats targeting the city, this order also included the Christian Quarter.
However, my concern lies toward the end of the article, where it uncritically repeats the claim made by the Israeli military's Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, that Hezbollah members were operating inside the Christian district and that the Israeli military “will have to act against their terrorist activities in the neighbourhood soon.”
While Israel claims that the Israeli forces only target buildings used by the resistance in Lebanon, the reality on the ground suggests otherwise wherein there have been repeated attacks on civilian infrastructure and civilians themselves. Just yesterday, an Israeli strike outside the Red Cross Center in Tyre killed five people and wounded eight others, including four Red Cross paramedics.
In fact, the displacement order targeting Tyre’s Christian Quarter was issued one week after Israel alleged that Hezbollah was operating in the area. In response to the claim, the Lebanese Army carried out patrols in the neighborhood and, according to a security source who spoke to The National News, found no evidence of suspicious activity, as reported by Nada Atallah.
The article should therefore be amended to include this Lebanese perspective from the ground, particularly given that the Israeli forces have been repeatedly targeting civilian infrastructure and civilians themselves. Otherwise, the article presents false Israeli allegations without informing readers that the Lebanese Army investigated the claims, and according to a security source who spoke to The National News, found no evidence to support them.
I write in good faith to encourage accurate and accountable reporting in line with the Canadian Association of Journalists’ (CAJ) principles of accuracy and fairness, and I look forward to your response.
Thank you for your attention.
Media Analyst
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East