Washington, October 20,2023
To denounce the targeting of civilians
Uphold the obligations of the International Humanitarian Law
Preventing Lebanon from being utilized as a battleground for furthering regional interests
The Lebanese-American Coordinating Committee (LACC) is closely monitoring the escalating tension witnessed on the southern borders of Lebanon, in the light of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Amid this critical and precarious time for Lebanon and its people, the LACC stresses on the following:
- The strong condemnation of the targeting of civilians, schools, hospitals, media, and places of worship, and a firm call for respect for the obligations of international humanitarian law while resorting to the logic of dialogue instead of violence in resolving conflicts.
- The pursuit of justice naturally leads to the attainment of peace. This requires the rejection of all forms of violence and extremism and resorting to the United Nations resolutions concerning the Palestinian Cause: advocating for a Two-State solution and the Return of Refugees. The Middle East has already endured and witnessed enough suffering and bloodshed.
- Lebanon is currently facing multiple existential threats, including deliberate attempts to engage it in the ongoing conflict, as well as the possibility of using its territory to communicate regional and international messages unrelated to its national security. These dynamics necessitate a decisive position from the Caretaker Government, the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and legitimate security forces, to assert the authority of the Lebanese state over its territories, safeguarding Lebanon’s sovereignty, and upholding the provisions of the constitution as well as the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, especially 1559, 1680, and 1701.
- The condemnation of the targeting of journalists in southern Lebanon, which led to the murder of journalist Issam Abdallah and the injury of six of his colleagues. We further denounce the violation of press freedom, and we call for respecting the mission of journalists in conveying truth and facts, as guaranteed by the Lebanese Constitution and International Conventions.
- The endorsement of the efforts of the sovereign and reform groups in Lebanon as they firmly oppose involving Lebanon in conflict and advocate for its neutrality, particularly amidst the current economic, social, and financial crisis, and the total collapse of infrastructure. Moreover, Lebanon’s entanglement in the conflict appears to be a decision driven not by Lebanon itself but by sinister regional motives.
- Requesting the United Nations, the Arab League, the Lebanese Diaspora, as well as the United States of America, to exert the utmost diplomatic pressure to protect Lebanon and its people from any aggression and violation of its sovereignty.
The Lebanese-American Coordinating Committee (LACC) urges the American administration to strengthen its efforts in preventing Lebanon’s engagement in the Gaza war. It also pledges to the Lebanese people to persist in its unwavering fight for the Lebanese cause until the establishment of a free and independent sovereign state.