UN expert slams Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon as ‘war crimes’, warns they threaten peace efforts
A United Nations expert has censured the near-daily Israeli air and drone strikes across Lebanon since the ceasefire entered into force on November 27, 2024, arguing the attacks are undermining peace efforts and may amount to war crimes.
The UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Morris Tidball-Binz, on Friday condemned Israel’s renewed strikes in Lebanon, pointing to the deadly attack on the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp in the city of Sidon in southern Lebanon and repeated attacks on civilians and UN peacekeepers.
The Lebanese Health Ministry reported that at least 13 people were killed and several others injured in the Israeli airstrike on the camp on November 18.
According to the local al-Manar television channel, the aerial attack targeted a highly populated area in Ain al-Hilweh.
“This is not an isolated incident but part of a disturbing pattern of lethal strikes in populated areas by Israel, and of total disregard for the ceasefire and for Lebanese peace efforts,” Tidball-Binz said.
He added, “These repeated attacks on civilians and civilian objects are war crimes and a violation of the UN Charter.”
The UN expert stressed that the Ain al-Hilweh attack followed recurrent strikes despite the declared ceasefire.
He described repeated attacks on civilians and civilian objects as “war crimes and a violation of the UN Charter.”
“These incidents form part of a broader pattern of unlawful killings and violations of the ceasefire agreement by Israel,” Tidball-Binz noted.
He also referred to Israel’s recent strikes on clearly identified UN peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), stating that “Intentionally directing attacks against UN personnel is a war crime under international humanitarian law.”
“These incidents amount to international crimes and are serious violations of Security Council resolution 1701 and of Lebanon’s sovereignty,” the Special Rapporteur said.
“They occur amid Israel’s illegal military occupation of five locations and two so-called ‘buffer zones’ in southern Lebanon, preventing civilians from returning to their homes, and its unilateral continuation of military attacks against Lebanon.”
Tidball-Binz said the Israeli attacks severely undermine the Lebanese government’s efforts to implement the ceasefire.
He urged Israel to immediately stop all attacks in Lebanon and fully comply with Security Council resolution 1701, the terms of the ceasefire, and its obligations under international law.
The Lebanese Ministry of Health said on Friday that Israeli strikes have killed 331 people and injured 945 in Lebanon ever since the truce agreement took effect a year ago.
The ministry, in a statement, attributed the casualties to Israeli raids, attacks, and breaches of the agreement intended to end the fighting triggered by the genocidal war in Gaza.
The figures cover the period from November 28, 2024, shortly after the truce began, through November 20, 2025.
Israel and the Hezbollah resistance movement reached a ceasefire agreement that took effect on November 27, 2024. Under the deal, Tel Aviv was required to withdraw fully from the Lebanese territory, but has kept forces stationed at five sites, in clear violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and the terms of last November’s agreement.
Since the implementation of the ceasefire, Israel has violated the agreement multiple times through repeated assaults on the Lebanese territory.
Lebanese authorities have warned that the Zionist regime’s violations of the ceasefire threaten national stability.