Emboldened by the lack of repercussions for its massacre of nearly 43,000 Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank in less than a year, Israel has intensified its brutal campaign beyond the Palestinian Territories. In a fresh wave of violence, they detonated thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies allegedly tied to Hizbullah, indiscriminately killing over 40 and injuring more than 4,000, including women, children, and medics.
Hizbullah primarily used the pagers and radios for its civil security forces, which function like a civilian police force managing security in areas under its control, as well as for its logistics and support branches. Since these personnel are not combat troops, Conflict’s Forum suggests they do not require highly secure communications. Therefore, the attacks are unlikely to significantly impact Hizbullah’s military forces. Israeli intelligence was aware that civilians would be disproportionately affected, making these actions tantamount to terrorism and war crimes under international humanitarian law.
The explosions occurred in supermarkets, vehicles, residential streets, and other densely populated areas, leading to traumatic injuries and widespread fear and panic throughout Lebanon, severely straining the healthcare system.
“Simply put, it was a terrorist attack and a war crime,” stated Aya Majzoub, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa. “Even if the attacks intended to target military objectives, detonating thousands of devices simultaneously without being able to determine their exact location or whose possession they were in demonstrates a flagrant disregard for the right to life and the laws of armed conflict. International humanitarian law prohibits indiscriminate attacks, as well as the use of the type of booby-traps seemingly used in these attacks.”
Geoffrey Nice, a prominent British human rights lawyer known for leading the prosecution of former Serbian President Slobodan Milošević in The Hague, stated, “The pagers and walkie-talkies were of unknown position and destination when they were activated; therefore, it was impossible for Israel to contemplate whether the outcome would be proportionate.” He called on the international community “to confront the fact that we’re dealing with criminal wars. And the only value the law can provide is to encourage investigations.”
Instead of holding Israel accountable for its latest war crimes, Western powers, including the US and the UK, have opted to significantly bolster its military capabilities. UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy issued a tepid statement expressing “deep concern over rising tensions and civilian casualties in Lebanon,” yet failed to condemn the tragic loss of innocent lives or impose any sanctions. During his speech at the Labour Party Conference last week, he did not even mention the brutal attacks by Israel using pagers and walkie-talkies. Similarly, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Joe Biden refrained from denouncing the brutal assaults on civilians. Woefully downplaying the terrorist attack on Lebanon, Biden’s spokesman, Matthew Miller, reduced the coordinated assaults which killed and maimed to a mere ‘type of event that may lead to further escalation.’”
The West’s disregard for the humanity of predominantly non-white, Muslim, and Arab victims of state-sanctioned terrorism in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon is a profound moral failure. This neglect not only perpetuates suffering; it deepens resentment, erodes trust in international justice, and risks destabilising efforts for lasting peace.
To uphold the core principles of human rights and international law, this indifference must be confronted and rectified.
Photo: Ten-year-old Fatima Jaafar Abdullah and Bilal Kanj are among the over 40 Lebanese lives tragically taken, with more than 4,000 others, including women, children, and medics, left injured by Israel’s deadly explosive-laden walkie-talkies and pagers. (Credit: ABNA)
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