The Lebanese Foreign Minister described on Friday the explosion of thousands of mobile communication devices in Lebanon this week as a “terrorist attack,” holding Israel responsible. Speaking at a United Nations Security Council meeting, Minister Abdallah Bouhabib stated that the blasts, which killed dozens across Lebanon over two days, represented an “unprecedented method of warfare in its brutality and terror,” as reported by Agence France-Presse.
Bouhabib highlighted the targeting of thousands of people of all ages, whether at home, on the streets, at work, or in shopping centers, as simply “terrorism.” High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk emphasized at the Security Council meeting, called by Algeria following the week’s simultaneous bombings of wireless communication devices affiliated with Hezbollah, that “committing acts of violence aimed at spreading terror among civilians constitutes a war crime.”
Türk reiterated the call for an “independent, thorough, and transparent investigation,” stressing that targeting thousands of individuals simultaneously—whether civilians or members of armed groups, without clear information on who carries the devices, their locations, and the environment during the attack—violates international humanitarian law and international law where applicable. He pointed out that it is difficult to see how such attacks could be consistent with the fundamental principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution, noting that “these attacks represent a new development in warfare, where communication devices become weapons… This cannot be a new normal.”
The aftermath of the explosions, which killed 37 people and injured 2,931 others on Tuesday and Wednesday, has intensified the exchange of fire since Thursday between the Israeli army and Hezbollah, supported by Iran.
