Weaponising ordinary devices violates international law: UNHR chief

UNITED NATIONS: Weaponising ordinary communication devices represents a new development in warfare, and targeting thousands of Lebanese people using pagers, two-way radios and electronic equipment without their knowledge is a violation of international human rights law, the United Nations human rights chief said Friday.

Volker Turk told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council there must be an independent and transparent probe of the two attacks in Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday where these devices exploded, reportedly killing 37 people and injuring more than 3,400 others. "Those who ordered and carried out these attacks must be held to account," he said. Lebanon has blamed Israel for the attacks, which appeared to target Hezbollah militants but also saw many civilian casualties, including children.

Before the council meeting, Israel's UN ambassador Danny Danon said: "We are not commenting on the specific attacks you mentioned, but I can tell you that we will do everything we can to target those terrorists to minimize casualties for civilians."

Turk said the explosions appear to violate international humanitarian law's key principles in carrying out attacks: distinction between civilians and combatants, proportionality, and precautions. International law also prohibits the use of booby-trap devices that look harmless, he said, and "it is a war crime to commit violence intended to spread terror among civilians."

"Let me be clear - this method of warfare may be new and unfamiliar," Turk said, "but international humanitarian and human rights law apply regardless and must be upheld."

Two Hezbollah leaders were among those killed in an Israeli airstrike on a Beirut suburb , Israel's military said on Saturday, as Lebanon raised the death toll from the attack to 37, including women and children.