UN eyeing potential Israeli war crimes in Lebanon

What the report says

Al Jazeera reported that UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, during a visit to Lebanon on Monday, accused Israel of extensive human rights violations that may qualify as war crimes. Speaking in Beirut, Turk said his office had documented breaches of international law and urged the Israeli military to stop ongoing shelling and demolitions in southern Lebanon.

According to the report, Turk said Israeli operations have continued despite an April ceasefire agreement, with people still being killed and wounded in air attacks and ground activity. He visited a school being used as a shelter for about 1,000 displaced people and described severe destruction, repeated displacement and deep trauma among civilians, including residents who had tried to return home only to find their villages destroyed.

In an interview with Al Jazeera the same day, Turk said many people he encountered showed exhaustion and despair. He also addressed the effect of Israeli violence on UN personnel, saying the deaths of UN colleagues in Gaza, Lebanon and Yemen over the past two years were beyond what he had imagined in his decades with the organization.

The development matters because the UN rights chief’s comments add to calls for documentation and accountability over conduct in the conflict. Turk emphasized that international law applies universally and said abuses must be recorded so those responsible can be held to account. The article did not include a response from Israeli authorities to Turk’s remarks.