The National Human Rights Commission, including the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (NHRC-CPT), continues to fulfill its legal mandate of monitoring and documenting human rights and international humanitarian law violations stemming from the Israeli aggression against Lebanon. This effort aligns with Article 16 of Law No. 62 / 2016, which calls for comprehensive measures to end impunity.
The Commission is investigating Israeli attacks to assess whether they were directed at military targets and adhered to the principle of proportionality.
Following investigations into 107 incidents, the Commission has found credible grounds to believe Israel committed attacks on fleeing civilians, ambulances, and medical facilities, caused widespread displacement, and destroyed homes and property. The Commission determined that at least 70 of these incidents constitute war crimes.
The National Human Rights Commission has reported that it is conducting an intensive investigation into whether the Israeli military used banned cluster bombs for the first time since the beginning of Israeli attacks on Lebanon on September 23, 2024.
The Commission has called upon the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to promptly provide documented photographic evidence or physical proof verifying the use of these bombs. This would allow examination and classification of the munitions within the list of prohibited cluster bombs, including the model and manufacturing date, as well as clarification of whether they were manufactured in Israel or by other countries.
Hezbollah’s media relations reported that on October 15, 2024, between 12:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m., Israeli forces launched missiles containing internationally banned cluster munitions on Wadi al-Khanzir in Wadi al-Hujayr, as well as on Khalla Raj, located between ‘Alman and Deir Siryan, east of ‘Alman toward forested areas. Earlier reports also alleged the use of cluster bombs by Israeli forces in the area between Hanin and Tairi.
The National Human Rights Commission has urged residents to submit any evidence they possess of cluster bombs in their areas, assuring them of the Commission’s commitment to maintaining the safety, security, and privacy of those who come forward with such evidence.
Fadi Jreij, the President of the National Human Rights Commission, stated: "Launching cluster munitions in civilian areas is a war crime that causes innumerable loss of life and leaves countless injuries and suffering." He added, “Cluster munitions are inherently indiscriminate weapons, and their use is prohibited under any circumstances by international humanitarian law. We reiterate our call for Israeli occupation forces to cease using these munitions and prioritize civilian protection immediately.”
Cluster munitions are launched by missiles or artillery and contain explosive submunitions spread randomly over a wide area. Many of these submunitions often fail to detonate, remaining on the ground as latent threats for years after conflicts end.
The indiscriminate deployment of cluster munitions across extensive areas and the risk posed to anyone who encounters unexploded remnants constitute violations of the ban on indiscriminate attacks.
According to “The Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor,” 219 people were killed or injured globally by cluster munitions in 2023. New injuries from cluster munitions were recorded in nine countries—Iraq, Azerbaijan, Laos, Lebanon, Mauritania, Myanmar, Syria, Ukraine, and Yemen—in 2023. Of the reported injuries in 2023, cluster munition attacks accounted for 118, while unexploded remnants caused 101 injuries.
The impact of cluster munitions continues to disproportionately affect civilians and civilian structures, including schools, hospitals, and farmland. Civilians comprised 93% of the total reported casualties in 2023.
Since 2023, the number of countries producing cluster munitions has risen from 16—including Brazil, China, Egypt, Greece, India, Iran, Israel, North Korea, South Korea, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Turkey, and the United States—to 17, following Myanmar’s addition to the list of producers. None of these countries are party to the treaty banning cluster munitions.
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