UN calls for investigation into Israeli strikes on civilians in Lebanon

Geneva — The UN human rights office voiced concern on Tuesday about the protection of civilians in Lebanon as Israeli military operations have continued to kill civilians there since a ceasefire in November.

“Israeli military operations in Lebanon continue to kill and injure civilians, and destroy civilian infrastructure, raising concerns regarding the protection of civilians,” UN human rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan told reporters in Geneva.

According to the UN rights office, at least 71 civilians — including 14 women and nine children — have been killed by Israeli forces in Lebanon since the ceasefire came into effect on November 27 last year, and 92,000 are still displaced.

“We are calling for investigations into all allegations of violations... Each and every military action where civilians are killed must be investigated,” Al-Kheetan said.

The UN’s rights office raised concern about recent Israeli military operations hitting civilian infrastructure, including a strike on April 3 which destroyed a newly established medical centre run by the Islamic Health Society in Naqoura.

It also noted that at least five rockets, two mortars and a drone have been launched from Lebanon towards the north of Israel, according to the Israeli army, and that tens of thousands of Israelis remain displaced from the north.

“The ceasefire must hold and any escalation is a risk for stability in general in Lebanon, Israel and the whole region,” Al-Kheetan added.

Despite the ceasefire, Israeli airstrikes have kept up pressure on Hezbollah, which it accuses of maintaining military infrastructure in the south.

On Thursday a senior Hezbollah official told Reuters the group is ready to hold talks with the Lebanese president about its weapons if Israel withdraws from south Lebanon and stops its strikes, as calls to disarm Hezbollah gain momentum.

The most recent conflict in Lebanon began when Hezbollah opened fire in support of Hamas at the start of the Gaza war in October 2023.

Reuters