Geneva, March 17 (SANA) The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) stated on Tuesday that Israeli threats to inflict a fate upon Lebanon similar to that of the Gaza Strip are “unacceptable.”
During a press conference in Geneva, OHCHR spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan emphasized that statements by Israeli officials threatening Lebanon with the same level of destruction seen in Gaza are “entirely unacceptable.” Al-Kheetan noted that Israeli airstrikes have already leveled entire residential buildings in densely populated urban areas, resulting in the deaths of numerous civilians, including women and children. He underscored that these attacks raise “serious concerns under International Humanitarian Law.”
Adding to the gravity of the situation, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon, Imran Riza, revealed that approximately 70% of the displaced population is currently without shelter. Riza pointed out that civilians are paying an exorbitant price as the pace of displacement accelerates dramatically across the country.
These international warnings follow recent threats made by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who earlier this month threatened Beirut’s southern suburbs (Dahiyeh) with the same devastation wrought upon Gaza.
The conflict reached a critical turning point with the commencement of an Israeli ground incursion into Southern Lebanon across multiple axes. This ground offensive follows two weeks of intense aerial bombardment that has claimed 886 lives and left over 2,000 injured, according to official Lebanese records.
H.H
