International community urges Israel to suspend all arms transfers immediately

UN Experts Condemn Israel’s Actions in Lebanon

A group of 19 United Nations experts, including special rapporteurs and independent experts, has issued a statement condemning Israel’s actions in Lebanon on April 8. The experts called the attack “a blatant violation of the UN Charter” and urged UN member states to halt all arms transfers to Israel.

The statement referred to the devastating wave of Israeli attacks across Lebanon on April 8, which killed at least 16 people, including four paramedics. The experts stated that this was not self-defense but a deliberate destruction of prospects for peace and an affront to multilateralism.

The UN Human Rights Council had previously called for Israel to cease all military operations in Lebanon while there is credible evidence of serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. The experts also condemned the forced displacement of civilians, which they described as “crimes against humanity”.

Israel’s actions have been a point of tension in US-Iran negotiations, with Tehran stating that Lebanon should be covered under the ongoing ceasefire. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Lebanon is not part of the ceasefire and will continue to target Hezbollah.

The experts’ statement was issued on Wednesday, as Israel continued to pound areas of southern Lebanon. The UN Human Rights Council had previously called for a halt in arms transfers to Israel while there is credible evidence of serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.

In related news, senior Israeli officials were quoted as saying that the country’s security cabinet planned to convene on Wednesday evening to discuss a possible ceasefire in Lebanon. Meanwhile, Lebanese officials stated that ceasefire efforts were underway.

Source: Al Jazeera