Beirut: The National Human Rights Commission, including the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (NHRC-CPT), has called on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to immediately verify claims regarding the use of cluster bombs by Israeli occupation forces at four specific locations in southern Lebanon. This request is part of the Commission’s ongoing efforts to monitor and document human rights and international humanitarian law violations connected to the ongoing Israeli aggression against Lebanon, in accordance with Article 16 of Law No. 62 / 2016.
According to National News Agency – Lebanon, the Commission is actively investigating Israeli military actions to determine if they were directed at legitimate military targets and whether they adhered to the principle of proportionality. In their investigations, covering 107 incidents, the Commission has found credible evidence suggesting that Israel conducted attacks on fleeing civilians, ambulances, and medical facilities, resulting in widespr
ead displacement and destruction of homes and property. At least 70 of these incidents have been classified as potential war crimes.
The Commission is particularly concerned about the possible use of banned cluster munitions by Israeli forces for the first time since the renewed hostilities began on September 23, 2024. They have urged UNIFIL to provide documented photographic evidence or physical proof of these claims, which would allow for examination and classification of the munitions within the list of prohibited cluster bombs, including details about the model and manufacturing date, as well as the country of origin.
Reports from Hezbollah’s media relations have indicated that on October 15, 2024, Israeli forces allegedly launched missiles containing banned cluster munitions on areas such as Wadi al-Khanzir in Wadi al-Hujayr and Khalla Raj, located between ‘Alman and Deir Siryan. Earlier allegations also cited the use of cluster bombs in the region between Hanin and Tairi.
The National Human Rights Co
mmission has encouraged residents to provide any evidence they may have about the presence of cluster bombs, assuring them of confidentiality and safety in doing so. Fadi Jreij, President of the Commission, stated that the use of cluster munitions in civilian areas constitutes a war crime, emphasizing the severe consequences such munitions pose to civilian lives and infrastructure.
Cluster munitions, which are launched by missiles or artillery, scatter explosive submunitions over a wide area, many of which fail to detonate immediately, posing long-term dangers. The indiscriminate nature of these weapons and their potential for causing harm to civilians long after conflicts end are significant concerns under international humanitarian law.
‘The Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor,’ cluster munitions killed or injured 219 people globally in 2023, with new injuries reported in nine countries, including Lebanon. Civilians, especially in civilian structures like schools, hospitals, and farmland, comprised 93%
of the casualties, highlighting the indiscriminate impact of these weapons.
The report also notes a rising number of countries producing cluster munitions, with Myanmar joining the list of 16 other nations, none of which are parties to the treaty banning these weapons.