UN to deploy investigators to Lebanon as air strikes kill 16

At least 16 people have been killed in a series of Israeli air strikes across southern Lebanon, including in Tyre, Tayr Debba, Deir Qanoun en-Nahr, and Deir ez-Zahrani. The latest violence, which targeted residential areas and a clinic in Deir ez-Zahrani on Wednesday evening, brings the Lebanese death toll to at least 3,696 since hostilities escalated on 2 March, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health. The attacks have also injured 11,413 others, while Israeli military figures confirm that 29 soldiers and one civilian contractor have been killed in Lebanon.

In response to the intensifying conflict, United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk announced that an investigation team will deploy to Lebanon next week. The mission aims to assess potential violations of international law and international human rights law by all parties involved in the current hostilities. Turk described the deployment as a first-of-its-kind assessment mission, noting that the team will document findings and report back to the international community.

The deployment follows earlier agreements reached between Beirut and the UN. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam had previously emphasised the importance of documenting potential crimes for submission to the United Nations, with Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos confirming that an agreement was in place for Turk to visit the country. The UN’s involvement comes as humanitarian conditions deteriorate, with the association of Christian border villages in southern Lebanon urging the government to open safe humanitarian and medical corridors for isolated communities.

Despite the diplomatic efforts, prospects for a ceasefire remain dim. Hezbollah rejected a conditional truce deal proposed last week, which required a complete cessation of Hezbollah fire but did not include a halt to Israeli strikes. The group has continued to launch attacks on Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, including rocket and drone fire on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Al Jazeera correspondent Obaida Hitto reported from Tyre that evacuation routes are unsafe, with civilians attempting to flee facing a high risk of being targeted by drone strikes, a situation that contradicts requirements under the Geneva Convention.

The conflict, which began when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel citing near-daily strikes and the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has drawn Lebanon into a broader regional crisis. Tehran insists that Lebanon must be part of any agreement to end the US-Israel war on Iran, but recent exchanges of fire between Iran and the US have cast doubt on the likelihood of a diplomatic resolution. As the UN prepares to arrive, the humanitarian and security situation in southern Lebanon remains volatile and uncertain.