Parliamentary committee for protecting civilian property, preventing systematic destruction begins work

MPs Fady Alameh, Achraf Beydoun (Amal), and Elias Jradeh (opposition, but who has recently moved closer to Hezbollah) held a press conference to present the new parliamentary committee "for the protection of civilian property and the prevention of systematic destruction," created as the war between Hezbollah and Israel enters a ten-day cease-fire announced last week.

This is an ad hoc committee, not a permanent committee whose creation must be approved by Parliament.

"After the announcement of the temporary truce that came into effect in the South on April 16, following Arab, regional, and international efforts and initiatives, the Israeli occupation has continued to violate the cease-fire. In order to denounce these violations and work toward putting an end to them, I called on my colleagues Dr. Beydoun, Dr. Jradeh, Dr. Kassem, and myself to form a parliamentary committee for the protection of civilian property and the prevention of systematic destruction. This committee will carry out a series of activities starting today," Alameh said from Parliament.

"Some may wonder what a parliamentary committee can do in the face of daily Israeli aggression," he continued, before answering this question himself.

"Within legal and political frameworks, we will monitor the respect for the cease-fire with the relevant Lebanese parties, Arab and regional ambassadors, friendly countries, as well as the major powers. We will work to collect information from the army command and official institutions, such as the South Council, the Council for Development and Reconstruction, the Red Cross and others. The committee's work will serve as a step to support the official Lebanese position and raise our voice in order to achieve the cessation of violations and the end of the occupation," he explained.

"What the Israeli enemy is doing is without a doubt the systematic destruction of all forms of human civilization. We are working to document and prevent it," Jradeh summarized, before adding that "the essential thing for this committee is to speak on behalf of the Lebanese people in order to affirm that the ongoing aggression is targeting all of them and that confronting it is the responsibility of each and every one of them."

"The framework of this parliamentary committee was born out of a cry of pain from the South, a cry of suffering from a population that feels abandoned to its fate and to a dark future because of these extremely serious violations of laws and international standards," Beydoun added.

For the three MPs, the Israeli army has committed "large-scale destruction of civilian property and appropriation of it without military necessity and in violation of the law," "direct or indirect displacement of residents," "deliberate attacks on religious, educational, charitable buildings, historical sites and hospitals," "looting and destruction of property," the hastening of "grave humanitarian consequences caused by enduring destabilization of civilian life," and "destruction that jeopardizes the future stability of the South and any prospect for settlement or lasting peace."