UN Human Rights Chief Urges Probe of Israel's Deadly Lebanon Attack

JAKARTA - The head of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights (UN) Volker Turk on Wednesday condemned Israel's "massive wave" of attacks across Lebanon, calling reports of hundreds of dead "horrible" and warning of a heavy toll on the already fragile regional peace.

"The scale of the killing and destruction in Lebanon today is truly horrific," Turk said in a statement, launching Anadolu (9/4).

"Such a massacre, just hours after agreeing to a ceasefire with Iran, is hard to believe. This puts enormous pressure on the fragile peace, which is desperately needed by civilians," he said.

The Lebanese Civil Defense said Israeli attacks across Lebanon on Wednesday killed 254 people, while health officials said another 837 were wounded, The National reported.

Meanwhile, dozens of people are still trapped under the rubble as civil defense teams try to find survivors from one of Israel's biggest waves of attacks in the country and its capital.

The bombing came after Israel said it backed US President Donald Trump's decision to declare a ceasefire, but not in Lebanon.

The Israeli military (IDF) which resumed its attacks on Lebanon on March 2, attacked Lebanon on Wednesday under the pretext of targeting the Hezbollah group.

"The terrorist activity of Hezbollah forces the IDF to act decisively against it. The IDF does not intend to harm you. For your safety, you must immediately evacuate your home," said IDF spokesman Avichaya Adraee, quoted by The Telegraph.

Turk stressed, "international humanitarian law clearly states that civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected," adding that "these principles are not negotiable and must always be respected."

He called for accountability, saying: "There must be a prompt and independent investigation into all alleged violations, and those responsible must be brought to justice."

The UN Human Rights Chief warned that the scale of the killings, attacks, evacuation orders, and statements by Israeli officials indicating "an intention to occupy or even annex parts of southern Lebanon, is very worrying."

"The international community must act quickly to help end this nightmare," he urged.