Amnesty International calls for an international investigation into the deadly attacks in Lebanon and Syria that killed nearly 40 people and injured thousands.
“A flagrant disregard for the right to life and for the laws of armed conflict”, the human rights organization said of the mass blasts that killed and injured thousands in Lebanon and Syria.
An international investigation must be launched to hold accountable the perpetrators of the simultaneous mass explosions targeting personal communications devices in Lebanon and Syria, which injured more than 2,931 people and killed at least 37, including at least four civilians, Amnesty International said ahead of a UN Security Council meeting today to discuss the blasts.
Aya Majzoub, Deputy Director of Amnesty International in the Middle East and North Africa, described the events as a “sinister dystopian nightmare”.
Lebanon: Establish International Investigation Into Deadly Attacks Using Exploding Portable Devices@Aya_Majzoub, @Amnesty’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said ⬇️https://t.co/gRe2cZYkkW
— Amnesty International USA (@amnestyusa) September 20, 2024
According to Majzoub, the use of explosives hidden in everyday objects, especially on such a massive scale, is extremely serious. She stressed that while the attacks may have been directed at military targets, the fact that thousands of devices were detonated with no control over where they were or who owned them reveals “a flagrant disregard for the right to life and for the laws of armed conflict”.
Amnesty warns that these actions constitute a gross violation of international law and calls on the international community to act swiftly to ensure accountability for this mass atrocity.
