The United Nations on Friday condemned the explosion of communications equipment used by Hezbollah militants in Lebanon this week, saying the attack violated international law and could amount to a war crime.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk told the Security Council that “international humanitarian law prohibits the use of bomb-trap devices in the form of harmless-looking portable objects.” He added that “violence aimed at spreading terror among civilians is a war crime.”
At least 37 people were killed and nearly 3,000 injured in the blasts that took place over two days. These blasts were carried out targeting communications equipment used by the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
They exploded as people using pagers and walkie-talkies shopped in supermarkets, walked the streets and attended funerals, sending panic through the country.
Hezbollah blamed Israel for the blasts.
“I am shocked by the scale and impact of the attacks,” Turk said.
“These attacks represent a new evolution in warfare, where communications equipment becomes a weapon,” he said.
“This cannot be a new normal.”
Israel has not commented on the operation but has said it will expand its war in Gaza to include the Lebanese front.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations declined to comment on the device explosions.
Danny Danon said, “But I can tell you that we will do everything possible to target those terrorists.”
He said this after Israel announced that it had killed the commander of Hezbollah’s elite unit in an attack on Beirut on Friday.
“We have no intention of going to war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, but we cannot let it continue like this,” Danon said, adding that Israel prefers a diplomatic solution and wants to “prevent” further escalation.
The Iran-backed Hezbollah is an ally of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which has been fighting a war in Gaza since Israel invaded on October 7.
For nearly a year, the Israeli military’s focus has been on Gaza, but its troops are also engaged in almost daily clashes with Hezbollah militants along the northern border.
Hundreds of people have been killed in Lebanon, most of them combatants, and dozens in Israel, including soldiers.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
