Israeli strikes targeting leaders of Hamas on Lebanon’s soil breach of Intl. law, UN rapporteur warns
A top UN human rights official has warned that Israeli strikes targeting leaders of the Palestinian Hamas resistance group on Lebanon’s soil are a breach of international law, as bloodshed in the besieged Gaza Strip continues.
In remarks on Wednesday, Ben Saul, United Nations special rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism, stressed that such cross-border strikes on Lebanon by the Israeli military would set a dangerous precedent for other global conflicts.
“By escalating the conflict to Lebanon, Israel is clearly in violation of international law, breaching Lebanon’s sovereignty, and violating the prohibition on the use of force under the UN charter,” he said in an interview with Qatar-based Al Jazeera television network.
Saul on Wednesday also said Israel was not justified in taking its fight with Hamas into Lebanon’s borders.
“Hamas’ original attack on Israel on October 7 came from Gaza, not from Lebanon. And Israel hasn’t presented any evidence that Hamas was attacking Israel from Lebanon itself,” he said.
“By escalating the conflict to Lebanon, Israel is clearly in violation of international law, breaching Lebanon’s sovereignty, and violating the prohibition on the use of force under the UN charter,” the top UN human rights official further said, adding, “This should be of concern to the United Nations Security Council and all states should counsel Israel not to escalate this conflict.”
Hezbollah has vowed to keep up its retaliatory operations as long as the Tel Aviv regime continues its onslaught on Gaza.
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