Lebanon: Concerns widening hostilities in Middle East will unleash human rights catastrophe

We are gravely concerned by the widening hostilities in the Middle East and their potential to engulf the entire region in a humanitarian and human rights catastrophe.

The prospects that the situation may deteriorate further with terrible impact on civilians, and that it could rapidly expand to embroil other States in the region, are real.

With armed violence between Israel and Hezbollah boiling over, the consequences for civilians have already been terrible – and we fear a large-scale ground invasion by Israel into Lebanon would only result in greater suffering.

Israeli strikes in Lebanon have reportedly killed over 1,000 people in the past two weeks alone. Hundreds of thousands have also been displaced in Lebanon, alongside those recently fleeing into Syria, and over 60,000 have been displaced in Israel since Hezbollah’s escalation of missile fire from October 8 last year.

Even before the most recent escalation in mid-September, tens of thousands of homes across Lebanon had been reportedly damaged or destroyed by attacks. Medical facilities have been damaged, with 10 per cent of health centres in Lebanon closed. Forty-one medical workers have been reportedly killed and 111 wounded since October 2023, with 14 killed in the last two days alone. Twenty-five water facilities have been damaged impacting nearly 300,000 people. Schools and nurseries have been closed, and some 300 converted into shelters. In northern Israel and parts of the northern occupied West Bank sirens have sounded, and residents instructed to remain close to shelters, limit their movements and avoid gatherings.

The impact of the escalation resulting from Houthi missile fire from Yemen into Israel and Israeli attacks in response are also deeply troubling.

All parties to these conflicts must clearly distinguish between military targets and civilians and civilian objects in the way they conduct hostilities. They must do all they can to protect the lives of civilians, their homes, and the infrastructure essential to their daily existence, as clearly required by international humanitarian law.

Too many innocent children, women and men have been killed, and too much destruction has been exacted.

The High Commissioner urges all parties to pursue negotiations to end the current path of destruction and violence that shows no end in sight. He reminds everyone to ensure accountability of those responsible for violations of international humanitarian law that have taken place or are ongoing, whoever the perpetrators may be, and to ensure justice for the victims.