At least 127 civilians killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon since ceasefire, UN says
A year since deal agreed, UN calls for investigation into possible violations of international law by all parties
Nearly a year after a ceasefire was brokered between Israel and Hezbollah, UN officials say Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed at least 127 civilians, prompting renewed demands for impartial investigations into whether international humanitarian law has been violated.
“We continue to see a troubling rise in Israeli military operations that are causing civilian deaths and destroying civilian infrastructure inside Lebanon, alongside increasingly alarming warnings of a potentially broader and more aggressive offensive,” said Thameen Al-Kheetan, spokesperson for the UN human rights office, during a briefing in Geneva.
Lebanon has repeatedly accused Israel of breaching the ceasefire deal — which was meant to halt more than a year of cross-border conflict with Hezbollah — by carrying out ongoing strikes and keeping military forces inside Lebanese territory.
Israel, meanwhile, insists it is Hezbollah that has broken the agreement, claiming the Iran-aligned militant group is rebuilding its capabilities and preparing for renewed confrontation.
Figures released by Lebanon’s health ministry indicate that since the ceasefire came into effect on 27 November last year, more than 330 people have been killed and 945 wounded. The UN says it has independently confirmed that at least 127 of those killed were civilians.
Kheetan pointed in particular to last week’s Israeli strike on the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon, which killed 13 people — including 11 children.
Israel said the strike targeted Hamas operatives working alongside Hezbollah. But Kheetan told reporters that the UN’s findings show otherwise: “All the fatalities we have documented as a result of this strike were civilians, raising serious concerns that the Israeli military’s actions may have contravened the core principles of international humanitarian law governing the conduct of hostilities.”
He stressed that an impartial investigation is essential: “There must be prompt and independent inquiries into the Ain al-Hilweh attack, and into every incident that may amount to a violation of international humanitarian law by any party, both before and after the ceasefire.”
“Those responsible must be brought to justice,” he added.
The UN human rights office noted that ongoing Israeli strikes continue to destroy and damage civilian facilities, compounding the humanitarian toll. Kheetan said the repeated attacks have significantly obstructed reconstruction efforts and prevented internally displaced families from attempting to return to their homes in southern Lebanon.
According to the rights office, more than 64,000 people — most from the southern region — remain displaced across the country following last year’s conflict.
Kheetan also raised alarm over new developments on the ground: “Israel has begun constructing a wall that crosses into Lebanese territory, rendering about 4,000 square meters of land inaccessible to the local population and limiting their ability to return to their property.”
He reaffirmed that “all internally displaced individuals must be allowed to return home,” and emphasized that rebuilding efforts must be supported rather than impeded.
Calling on all actors to honor the truce, Kheetan concluded: “Parties must abide by the ceasefire in good faith.”