Exploding pagers and radios: A terrifying violation of international law, say UN experts

United Nations human rights experts on Thursday condemned a coordinated attack using thousands of electronic pagers and radios, which exploded simultaneously across Lebanon and Syria, killing at least 32 people and injuring 3,250. The experts described the incidents as “terrifying” violations of international law.

Among the dead are two children and several medical workers, according to initial reports. Approximately 200 of the injured are in critical condition. Around 500 people suffered severe eye injuries, including a diplomat, while others sustained grave damage to their faces, hands, and bodies.

“These attacks violate the human right to life, absent any indication that the victims posed an imminent lethal threat to anyone else at the time,” the experts said in a statement. They called for an independent investigation to establish accountability for what they labelled as potential war crimes.

The devices were reportedly distributed among individuals allegedly associated with the Hezbollah movement, which includes both civilian and military personnel. Hezbollah has been engaged in ongoing armed conflict with Israel along the border. The experts raised concerns about the indiscriminate nature of the attacks, noting that it would have been impossible to distinguish between civilian and military targets.

“Simultaneous attacks by thousands of devices would inevitably violate humanitarian law,” the statement read, emphasizing that such actions could constitute war crimes, including murder and launching indiscriminate attacks on civilians.

The use of booby-trapped objects, disguised as harmless devices like pagers, was also condemned. The experts stressed that international law prohibits the deployment of such devices, which are designed to cause injury or death when a person unknowingly interacts with them.

“It is also a war crime to spread terror among civilians,” the experts warned, noting that the attacks have created a pervasive climate of fear in Lebanon.

The UN experts urged a swift, impartial investigation and called on all states to ensure those responsible are brought to justice. They emphasized the need for peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law and warned of further destabilization in the region.

“The Security Council and General Assembly must act to restore peace and justice,” the experts concluded.