International law “prohibits” the use of “explosive” devices that appear to be “harmless” objects, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights told the Security Council on Friday. Volker Turkwhile the Lebanese foreign minister accused Israel of “terrorism.”
“It is a war crime to commit acts of violence aimed at spreading terror among the civilian population,” Türk told a meeting of the UN’s top security body convened by Algeria, following the simultaneous explosion this week of pagers, walkie-talkies and other communication devices belonging to the Islamist group Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib accused Israel of this “terrorist attack.”
The near-simultaneous blasts that killed dozens of people across Lebanon over two days are “a method of warfare unprecedented in its brutality and terror,” the official said.
The communications devices were used in the blasts that killed 37 people and injured nearly 3,000 in two days and were aimed at members of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
Pagers and walkie-talkies went off simultaneously as users shopped in supermarkets, strolled down the street or attended funerals, plunging the country into panic and overwhelming hospitals.
“I am shocked by the scale and impact of the attacks,” Türk said.
“These attacks represent another step in the war, in which communication tools become weapons,” he added. “This cannot be the new normal,” he said.
Israel has not commented on the operation, but has said it will expand the scope of its war in Gaza to include Lebanese Hezbollah.
“I can tell you that we will do everything possible to attack these terrorists,” warned Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, speaking after his country announced the death of the commander of Hezbollah’s elite unit in an attack in Beirut on Friday.
“We have no intention of going to war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, but we cannot continue like this,” Danon added.
Before the meeting, the UN Secretary-General’s spokesman called on all parties to exercise “maximum restraint.”
“We are deeply concerned by the escalation around the Blue Line (the UN demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel), including today’s deadly attack in Beirut. We call on all parties to immediately de-escalate. Everyone must show maximum restraint,” said Stéphane Dujarric.
Iran-backed Hezbollah is an ally of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which has been waging war in Gaza since its attack on Israel on October 7.
For nearly a year, Israel has focused all its firepower on Gaza, but its troops have also engaged in near-daily clashes with Hezbollah militants along its northern border.
Hundreds of people have been killed in Lebanon, most of them fighters, and dozens in Israel, including soldiers.
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2024-09-26 07:47:29