BEIRUT — Lebanese TV channel Al Jadeed has come under fire since Sunday for airing a controversial episode of its program Mini Mafia, which featured children engaging in political and sectarian debates.

The segment sparked outrage across social media, with critics accusing the channel of "exploiting children for political purposes," as the conversation quickly veered into hateful and exclusionary rhetoric.

Caretaker Information Minister Ziad Makary responded on Sunday, revealing that he had contacted al-Jadeed’s management to address the issue.

"We agreed to contain any negative repercussions, ensuring that the protection of juveniles is prioritized, taking into account their feelings and their age-related interests, without involving them in the political, partisan or sectarian sphere," he said in a post published on X.

Moreover, the Social Affairs Ministry also condemned the episode, stating that it violated the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Lebanon is a signatory. The ministry also stressed the need for a "media environment that safeguards the children's privacy and protects them from the psychological harm that may result from their participation in such programs.''

In the wake of the backlash, al-Jadeed issued an apology, acknowledging the mistake in the broadcast. The channel explained that the aim of Mini Mafia was to "highlight the talents and creative abilities of children" but admitted that the dialogue of two of the participating children had crossed the boundaries of what is appropriate for children’s age and innocence.

It further added that the controversial clip aired due to "an error during the rapid editing process," and was rather meant to be excluded in the episode.

Al-Jadeed pledged to conduct an internal investigation, and it removed the controversial segments of the show from all of its platforms.