Lebanon filed a formal complaint Wednesday against Israel at the United Nations, citing deadly explosions involving pagers that killed at least 37 people and injured thousands more.
The attacks, which began in mid-September, used rigged communicated devices to target members of the militant group Hezbollah.
Lebanese Labor Minister Moustafa Bayram traveled to the U.N.’s International Labor Organization (ILO) to file the complaint in Geneva, warning that this tactic poses a “very dangerous precedent.”
Bayram said the pager explosions “may open the way for many who are evading international humanitarian law to adopt this method of warfare.”
“More than 4,000 civilians fell—between martyrs and injured and maimed—in a few minutes by this attack,” he said.
AP Photo/Jamey Keaten
Lebanon’s ‘Sinister Dystopian Nightmare’
On the afternoon of Sept. 17, hidden explosive devices within thousands of pagers detonated across Lebanon, initially killing at least 12 people, including children, and injuring more than 2,300, Amnesty International reported.
Their report described the scene as “a sinister dystopian nightmare,” with one eyewitness describing how “simple devices” unexpectedly turned lethal.
The following day, explosions from walkie-talkies killed an additional 25 people and injured over 600.
Lebanon’s health care system was reportedly under immense strain following the blasts. The Lebanese Minister of Health, Dr. Firas Abiad, described the attacks as “the epitome of indiscriminate attacks,” explaining that many of the injured sustained “life-changing injuries” including eye trauma and amputations.
Dr. Georges Ghanem, Chief Medical Officer at the Lebanese American University Medical Center, told said that the injuries required specialized treatment, noting that “everybody had injuries to their hands, lots of amputations, and eye problems that [cannot be fixed].”
One witness described the scene as “a state of panic in every sense of the word.”
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What Could Happen to Israel if the UN Complaint is Successful?
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah blamed Israel for the attacks, stating that Israel crossed “all red lines” and vowed “just punishment.” He was later killed on Sept. 27, when the Israeli Air Force launched an airstrike on Hezbollah’s headquarters in Beirut.
Speaking in Arabic, Bayram insisted that ILO conventions guarantee the safety and security of workers, who “were in their workplace and had their pagers or walkie-talkies exploding all of a sudden,” according to an interpreter.
Bayram acknowledged that Lebanon’s formal complaint to the ILO may face challenges, stating, “I do not know where the outcome [of the complaint] will go, but at least we raised our voices to say and warn against this dangerous approach.”
An ILO spokeswoman stated that she was not immediately aware of the complaint or what redress might be possible through the organization.
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What Drove Israel To Attack Lebanon?
Lebanon has long been a supporter of the Palestinian cause. Hezbollah, in particular, has positioned itself as part of the “resistance” against Israel during their attack on Gaza.
Lebanon and Israel’s conflict is rooted in decades of historical, political, and territorial disputes. Tensions began after Israel’s establishment in 1948, which led to an influx of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. The situation escalated in 1978 and 1982 when Israel invaded Lebanon to counter attacks from Palestinian armed groups, occupying parts of the country until 2000.
This year’s events have reached their greatest escalation since the conclusion of the 2006 Lebanon War, triggered by Hezbollah capturing two Israeli soldiers, which caused casualties and destruction in Lebanon.
On Oct. 7 last year, Hamas led the deadliest Palestinian militant attack in Israel’s history, killing some 1,200 people and taking roughly 250 hostages. Nearly 100 people remain in captivity, less than 70 of whom are believed to be alive. Israel subsequently launched its military operation in Gaza, killing over 43,000 Palestinians so far, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Local health officials don’t differentiate between civilians and fighters.
Hezbollah started firing rockets and drones against Israel in solidarity with Hamas shortly after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack. Israel subsequently began striking Lebanon, killing over 3,000 people so far.
As of November 2024, the conflict remains ongoing, with both sides engaging in military actions that have resulted in significant casualties and displacement of civilians.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
