News - Middle East: The United Nations confirmed the “tragic” killing of 103 civilians in Israeli strikes in Lebanon since a November 2024 ceasefire agreement, and called for a permanent end to the attacks.

“Up until the end of September, the UN Human Rights Office has verified 103 civilians killed in Lebanon since the ceasefire,” the UN human rights body said in a statement on Wednesday.

It also referred to thousands of Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement, including attacks on civilians and home demolitions, recorded by the Lebanese Armed Forces.

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk stated, “We are still seeing devastating impacts of jet and drone strikes in residential areas, as well as near UN peacekeepers in the south.”

“Today, families are simply unable to make a start on rebuilding their homes and their lives, and instead are faced by the real and present danger of more strikes. Hundreds of damaged schools, health facilities, places of worship, among other civilian sites, are still no-go zones, or at best, only partly usable,” Turk added.

The High Commissioner urged an “independent and impartial” investigation into incidents “which raise concerns about compliance with international humanitarian law.”

Turk added that over 80,000 people remain displaced in Lebanon as a result of the ongoing Israeli strikes, noting that the displaced people are living in dire conditions.

Civilians and civilian infrastructure “must be protected and international humanitarian law fully respected”, the UN Human Rights Chief said.

“Good faith implementation of the ceasefire is the only path towards a durable peace, and its terms need to be respected.”

Turk urged “all parties to double down on transitioning to a permanent cessation as laid out by the UN Security Council,” referring to Resolution 1701, which was unanimously adopted in 2006 to end the war between Hezbollah and Israel.

Hezbollah and Israel agreed to a ceasefire that took effect on November 27, 2024. Under the deal, Israel was required to withdraw fully from Lebanese territory, but has kept forces stationed at five sites, in clear violation of Resolution 1701 and the terms of the ceasefire agreement.

Since its implementation, Israel has violated the agreement time and again through repeated assaults on Lebanese territory. Lebanese authorities have warned that the regime’s violations of the ceasefire threaten national stability.

Source: Press TV