Detonation of communication devices in Lebanon violates international law: UN
The United Nations has condemned the recent detonation of handheld communication devices used by Hezbollah, describing the bloody incident as a potential war crime and a violation of international law.
The attacks in Lebanon resulted in the deaths of at least 37 people and injured over 3,000 others.
While reacting to the violence, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk disclosed that “It is a war crime to commit violence intended to spread terror among civilians.”
He expressed alarm at the attacks’ scale and impact, noting that communication tools becoming weapons is a new and alarming development in warfare.
Turk stressed the need for an independent investigation and accountability for those responsible. He also warned that this type of warfare cannot become the norm and that international humanitarian law must be upheld.
Also, Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, cautioned that escalating tensions between Israel and Iran-backed groups in Gaza and Lebanon risks a wider regional conflict. She urged diplomacy and adherence to Security Council resolution 1701.
Other officials, including Slovenian representative Samuel Zbogar and Deputy US Ambassador Robert Wood, echoed these concerns, calling for restraint, de-escalation, and compliance with international humanitarian law to prevent further harm to civilians.
Beirut and Hezbollah blame Israel for the attacks, alleging Israel placed explosive charges in imported pager devices and remotely detonated them.
Israel has remained silent, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office distancing itself from an incriminating social media post by his advisor, Topaz Luk.
The international community has condemned the attacks, with human rights groups warning they endanger civilian lives and violate laws of war.
The incident heightens tensions between Israel and Hezbollah amid the ongoing Gaza conflict, which has claimed over 41,300 lives since Hamas’s cross-border attack on October 7.
