Death Toll In Lebanon Continues To Increase, Human Rights Watch Asks Israel To Stop Selling Weapons

The Israeli military in the northern border region with Lebanon. (Source: IDF)

JAKARTA - Human Rights Watch issued an urgent call to stop arms sales to Israel, highlighting the ongoing military offensive in Lebanon.

The international rights organization highlighted the severe impact of Israeli airstrikes, which have resulted in the death of hundreds of people and injured thousands of people since the attack began on Monday.

According to the organization's statement, Israel's military campaign has been the "most intense and widespread" attack in Lebanon to date, with 640 reported casualties, including women and children, in addition to 2,505 injured and about 70,000 displaced, as quoted from WAFA 27 September.

Human Rights Watch urges Israel's main allies to suspend military aid and arms sales, considering the supply's "real danger" was used to commit serious human rights abuses.

The organization also called on the United Nations to immediately begin an international investigation into the recent increase in conflict, stressing the need for UN member states to support this investigation and ensuring investigators are immediately sent to gather evidence and provide recommendations on violations of international law and accountability.

Israel and the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon have engaged in tensions and cross-border attacks in line with the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza last October 2023.

Earlier this week, an escalation escalated with Israeli airstrikes in response to a missile launch by Hezbollah that raised global concerns.

Quoted from CNN, the United States and some of its allies called for a 21-day ceasefire on the Israel-Lebanon border to prevent regional war outbreaks and disrupt stalled negotiations between Israel and Hamas.

However, Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu's Office dismissed a possible ceasefire, saying the prime minister ordered the military to fight in full force. His office said PM Netanyahu had not yet responded to the proposal.

Meanwhile, Lebanese PM Najib Mikati's Office dismissed media reports saying he signed a ceasefire framework after meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and senior adviser to the White House Amos Hochstein on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Mikati clarified that she had welcomed the US statement regarding the framework's proposal, but its implementation had to go through Israel's commitment to international resolutions.