Lebanon files complaint against Israel over deadly pager explosions

Lebanon filed a formal complaint against it on Wednesday Israel at the United Nationsstating fatal explosions involving pagers which killed at least 37 people and thousands of others injured.

The attacks, which began in mid-September, used spoofed communications equipment to target members of the militant group. Hezbollah.

Lebanese Labor Minister Moustafa Bayram traveled to the UN’s International Labor Organization (ILO) to file the complaint. Genevawarning that this tactic sets a “very dangerous precedent.”

Bayram said the pager explosions “could open the way for many who evade international humanitarian law to adopt this method of warfare.”

“More than 4,000 civilians fell – among martyrs and wounded and maimed – in a few minutes from this attack,” he said.

Lebanon’s ‘Sinister Dystopian Nightmare’

On the afternoon of September 17, hidden explosives detonated in thousands of pagers across Lebanon, initially killing at least twelve people, including childrenand injured more than 2,300 people, Amnesty International reported.

Their report described the scene as ‘a sinister dystopian nightmare’, with an eyewitness describing how ‘simple devices’ unexpectedly become fatal.

The next day, walkie-talkie explosions killed another 25 people and injured more than 600.

The Lebanese healthcare system was reportedly under enormous pressure after the blasts. Lebanese Health Minister Dr. Firas Abiad described the attacks as “the epitome of indiscriminate attacks,” explaining that many of the injured suffered “life-changing injuries,” including eye trauma and amputations.

Dr. Georges Ghanem, chief medical officer of the Lebanese American University Medical Center, said the injuries required specialized treatment, noting that “everyone had injuries to their hands, many amputations and eye problems that (can’t be fixed).”

One witness described the scene as “a state of panic in every sense of the word.”

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 promising “just punishment.” He was later killed on September 27, when the Israeli Air Force launched one air raid at Hezbollah headquarters Beirut.

Speaking in Arabic, Bayram emphasized that ILO conventions guarantee the safety and security of workers, who “were at their workplace and their pagers or walkie-talkies suddenly exploded,” according to an interpreter.

Acknowledging that Lebanon’s formal complaint to the ILO may face challenges, Bayram stated: “I don’t know where the outcome (of the complaint) will go, but at least we have 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 of the possible recourse through the organization.

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 Israel Gaza.

The conflict between Lebanon and Israel is rooted in decades of historical, political and territorial conflict disputes. Tensions began after the creation of Israel in 1948, which led to an influx of Palestinians refugees in Lebanon. The situation escalated in 1978 and 1982 when Israel invaded Lebanon to counter attacks by Palestinian armed groups, which occupied up to 2,000 parts of the country.

This year’s events have reached their greatest escalation since the end of the 2006 Lebanon War, sparked by Hezbollah’s capture of two Israeli soldiers, causing casualties and destruction in Lebanon.

On October 7 last year, Hamas led the deadliest Palestinian militant attack in Israel’s history, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Nearly 100 people remain in captivity, of whom fewer than 70 are believed to be alive. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, Israel then launched its military operation in Gaza, killing more than 43,000 Palestinians so far. Local health officials do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

Hezbollah began firing rockets and drones into Israel in solidarity with Hamas shortly after the October 7, 2023 attack. Israel then began attacking Lebanon, killing more than 3,000 people so far.

As of November 2024, the conflict continues, with both sides involved in military actions that have resulted in significant casualties and displacement of citizens.

This article contains reporting from The Associated Press