Rania Abushamala
27 July 2026•Update: 27 July 2026
The UN human rights chief said on Monday that his office has documented large-scale violations of international humanitarian law in Lebanon, some of which may amount to “war crimes.”
“My office has recorded large-scale violations of international humanitarian law, some possibly amounting to war crimes, and under certain circumstances they may also constitute crimes under international law,” Volker Turk told a news conference in Beirut.
Since March 2, more than 4,300 people have been killed and 12,200 injured in Lebanon, according to figures from Lebanese authorities, Turk said.
He added that more than 135 health care workers, as well as many journalists and media workers, were among those killed.
Israel launched a new offensive in Lebanon early March following Hezbollah's retaliation to the Iran war.
Despite an initial announcement of a cessation of hostilities in April and several rounds of negotiations aimed at de-escalating the conflict, “the Israeli military continues to kill and injure people in Lebanon amid continued airstrikes and ground operations,” Turk said.
‘International crimes’
The UN rights chief said he visited, along with Lebanon’s social affairs minister, a school converted into a shelter housing around 1,000 victims of the conflict.
“This is the second or third cycle of displacement for many,” he said. “Some told me they attempted to return home last week, only to discover that their villages had been destroyed.”
Turk said entire villages south of the Litani River had been “razed or rendered uninhabitable,” as Israeli strikes and continuing demolitions flattened homes, schools, health care facilities, water distribution networks, electricity infrastructure, places of worship and agricultural land.
He expressed concern that the overall conduct of Israeli forces, including large-scale displacement and the denial of residents’ return, “could amount to international crimes.”
Turk said Israeli forces continued to occupy significant areas of southern Lebanon and voiced concern about the protection of civilians after the mandate of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) expires later this year.
“I hope that this dimension — the protection of civilians — will be taken into account in any future configuration,” he said.
The UN official said an impartial and independent assessment mission, announced in June in agreement with the Lebanese government, had already been deployed to the country.
Turk stressed that civilian protection was “absolutely paramount” and said both Israel and Hezbollah must respect international humanitarian and human rights law.
He also called for justice for the victims of the 2020 Beirut port explosion as Lebanon prepares to mark the sixth anniversary of the disaster.
“Justice needs to be delivered for victims and those responsible held to account,” he said, adding that judicial reforms would be critical to restoring trust in state institutions.
“Recovery and reconstruction are not simply a logistics exercise,” he said, calling for the relationship between the state and its citizens to be strengthened.
He also stressed the need for the “full empowerment of the Lebanese state,” with full respect for the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and without external interference.
