Israeli attacks on Lebanon have so far cost more than one thousand lives

Geneva, October 2 (RHC)-- A large-scale invasion of Lebanon by Israel will only bring more suffering, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

The UN organization expressed deep concern over the escalation of armed conflict in Lebanon, which has the “potential to plunge the entire region into a humanitarian and human rights catastrophe.”

“There are real possibilities that the situation could worsen, with devastating effects on civilians, and that it could rapidly escalate to involve other states in the region. A large-scale invasion of Lebanon by Israel will only bring more suffering,” said OHCHR spokesperson Liz Throssell during a press conference.

She recalled that in the past two weeks, Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory have caused the deaths of over one thousand people and displaced hundreds of thousands.

Even before the escalation of hostilities in the last two weeks, tens of thousands of homes in Lebanon had been destroyed or damaged by Israeli attacks, which also forced the closure of 10 percent of the country’s medical facilities, Throssell pointed out.

Since October 2023, at least 51 healthcare workers have been killed in attacks, 14 of them in the last two days, she added.  “The parties in conflict must clearly distinguish between military and civilian targets, and do everything possible to protect civilian lives,” stated the OHCHR spokesperson.

Throssell emphasized that OHCHR High Commissioner Volker Türk has urged the conflicting parties to begin talks to end the “current wave of destruction and violence that seems to have no end.”