UN deploys war crimes investigators as Israeli strikes kill 17 in Lebanon
Lebanese authorities report 17 fatalities in southern towns including Tayr Debba, while the UN human rights chief sends a mission to examine violations since March.
The United Nations human rights chief, Volker Türk, has dispatched a team of investigators to Lebanon following a request from the Lebanese government, aiming to examine potential human rights violations committed by all parties since the conflict began on 2 March. The mission, expected to present its findings by the end of July, will gather evidence that could support future prosecutions for war crimes. While Israel has been informed of the deployment, it remains unclear whether it will cooperate with the inquiry.
The announcement comes as Israeli air strikes killed at least 17 people in southern Lebanon, according to reports from Lebanese media. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) confirmed that nine fatalities occurred in the town of Tayr Debba, located just east of Tyre, following a series of attacks by jets and drones. Additional casualties were recorded in Deir Qanoun el-Nahr, Seddiqin, Sidon, and Tyre.
NNA reported that Israeli air and artillery strikes intensified across the south on Wednesday. In Tayr Debba, at least four strikes resulted in nine deaths. Two strikes in Deir Qanoun el-Nahr killed three people, while two others were killed in Seddiqin. Later, an Israeli drone targeted a car in central Sidon, killing two people who were pulled from the burning vehicle by rescuers. One person was also reported killed in the Massaken al-Shaabiya area of Tyre.
Hezbollah stated it carried out counter-attacks on Israeli troops in the south, targeting gatherings of soldiers and military vehicles in the Bayada and Yohmor areas with rocket barrages and shellfire. This follows Israeli military statements on Tuesday claiming strikes on six Hezbollah infrastructure sites in Tyre and ready-to-use launchers in other southern areas. Israel also issued a new evacuation order for Tyre, including its Christian quarter for the first time.
The conflict, which escalated significantly after Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel in retaliation for an Israeli strike that killed Iran’s supreme leader, has resulted in at least 3,696 deaths in Lebanon. The UN estimates that almost one million people, or a fifth of the population, remain displaced, with 1.4 million requiring humanitarian aid. Meanwhile, Iranian leaders are demanding that any deal to end its war with the US and Israel also covers Lebanon, complicating negotiations with US President Trump.
