Lebanon: Israel systematic attacks and killings threaten peace efforts, UN expert warns
Press releases
Special Procedures
21 November 2025
GENEVA - The UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Morris Tidball-Binz, today condemned Israel's renewed strikes in Lebanon, including the deadly attack on Ein el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp and repeated attacks on civilians and UN peacekeepers.
"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. "These repeated attacks on civilians and civilian objects are war crimes and a violation of the UN Charter."
According to reports, an Israeli drone strike on 18 November 2025 hit Ein el-Hilweh, a Palestinian refugee camp near Sidon, killing at least 14 people, among them twelve children, and injuring at least six others, making it the deadliest single strike since the November 2024 ceasefire. Israel claimed it had targeted a Hamas "training compound," without further clarification.
The expert noted that the Ein el-Hilweh attack follows near-daily Israeli air and drone strikes across Lebanon since the ceasefire entered into force on 27 November 2024. According to the UN Human Rights Office, approximately 127 Lebanese civilians have been killed and several injured in these operations, which have struck homes, vehicles and other civilian objects in southern villages and along main roads.
"These incidents form part of a broader pattern of unlawful killings and violations of the ceasefire agreement by Israel," the Special Rapporteur said.
Tidball-Binz expressed alarm at renewed attacks and near-attacks on UN peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). On 16 November 2025, an Israeli Merkava tank fired on a UNIFIL patrol inside Lebanese territory, with shells landing only a few metres from the peacekeepers endangering their lives. This followed an incident on 26 October 2025 in which an Israeli drone flew close to a UNIFIL patrol operating near Kfar Kila and dropped a grenade, moments before an Israeli tank fired towards them.
"Intentionally directing attacks against UN personnel is a war crime under international humanitarian law," the expert said.
"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."
"These attacks severely undermine the Lebanese Government's efforts to implement the ceasefire, restore peace and ensure justice and security for its population," he said.
Tidball-Binz 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. He called for prompt, independent and effective investigations into all alleged unlawful killings resulting from Israeli strikes in Lebanon, in particular after the ceasefire in force since November 2024, in line with the Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death (2016).
"Those responsible, including those who planned, ordered or authorised unlawful strikes, must be held to account," he said. "Victims and their families must receive truth, justice and full reparation."
"Renewed attacks and killings in Lebanon are devastating for victims and their families and threaten fragile peace efforts in the region," the expert said.
The Special Rapporteur urged the international community to put pressure on Israel to fully implement the November 2024 ceasefire, immediately stop further attacks and killings on Lebanese territory, and support independent, effective investigations and efforts to bring those responsible to justice.
*The expert:
Morris Tidball-Binz, the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions
This statement was endorsed by: Ben Saul, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism; and George Katrougalos, Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order.
Special Rapporteurs/Independent Experts/Working Groups are independent human rights experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Together, these experts are referred to as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. While the UN Human Rights office acts as the secretariat for Special Procedures, the experts serve in their individual capacity and are independent from any government or organization, including OHCHR and the UN. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the UN or OHCHR.
Country-specific observations and recommendations by the UN human rights mechanisms, including the special procedures, the treaty bodies and the Universal Periodic Review, can be found on the Universal Human Rights Index https://uhri.ohchr.org/en/
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
