UN Experts Call for Immediate Suspension of Arms to Israel Amid Lebanon Crisis
A coalition of United Nations experts has strongly condemned Israel’s recent actions in Lebanon, labeling them as illegal. This denouncement comes a day after a reported ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran. The experts have urgently called upon all UN member states to **immediately suspend all arms transfers to Israel**.
The group, comprising 19 experts including special rapporteurs and independent human rights specialists, issued their condemnation on Wednesday. Their statement coincided with ongoing Israeli bombardments in southern Lebanon, which Lebanese state media reported had resulted in at least 16 fatalities, including four paramedics.
Referring to a devastating series of Israeli attacks across Lebanon on April 8, which Lebanese authorities stated killed over 350 people, including 30 children, the experts emphasized: “This is not self-defense. It is a **blatant violation of the UN Charter**, a deliberate destruction of prospects for peace, and an affront to multilateralism and the UN-based international order.”
They further demanded that Israel “cease all military operations in Lebanon” and urged UN member states to halt arms transfers to Israel, particularly “while there is credible evidence of serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law,” as reported by the UN Human Rights Council.
The escalation of Israeli attacks on Lebanon on March 2 followed Hezbollah’s rocket fire into Israel. This action by Hezbollah was reportedly in response to heightened regional tensions and a significant event involving Iran, which marked the initial phase of what has been described as a broader conflict.
Israel’s extensive bombardment and ground invasion in southern Lebanon have led to over 2,000 deaths and the forced displacement of more than 1.2 million people.
The UN experts highlighted that such **forced displacement of a civilian population constitutes crimes against humanity**. They also criticized Israel’s targeted “destruction of homes,” particularly in predominantly Shia areas of the south, describing it as “a form of collective punishment” that “points to ethnic cleansing.”
The ongoing Israeli bombardment of Lebanon has been a point of contention in negotiations between the US and Iran. Tehran reportedly stated that Lebanon should be included in the ongoing ceasefire. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that Lebanon is not part of the ceasefire with Iran and affirmed that Israel would continue to target Hezbollah “wherever required.”
On Saturday, days before Israel and Lebanon engaged in rare, high-level diplomatic talks in the US, Netanyahu expressed Israel’s desire for long-term peace with Lebanon, conditional on Hezbollah’s disarmament.
Reuters news agency quoted a senior Israeli official indicating that Israel’s security cabinet planned to convene on Wednesday evening to discuss a potential ceasefire in Lebanon. Additionally, several senior Lebanese officials were cited as confirming that ceasefire efforts were actively underway.
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