Experts Condemn Escalating Violence in Middle East, Demand Accountability for Killings

The experts criticized a rocket attack on 28 July, reportedly launched from Lebanon, which struck Majdal Shams, a village in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Independent experts have expressed grave concern over the escalating violence in the Middle East, condemning recent attacks and killings that violate human rights and risk further regional instability.

The experts criticized a rocket attack on 28 July, reportedly launched from Lebanon, which struck Majdal Shams, a village in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The attack killed 12 Druze children and injured 42 others. Israel, which has occupied the Golan Heights since 1967 and purported to annex it in 1981, attributes the attack to Hezbollah, although the group has denied involvement. The experts highlighted that such an attack appears to breach both international humanitarian law and human rights law, and they called on all nations to prevent the use of their territories for cross-border violence and to prosecute those responsible.

In retaliation, Israel targeted Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukur in a strike on 30 July in Beirut, which also reportedly resulted in the deaths of a boy, a girl, three women, and injuries to 74 others. The experts condemned this response as a reckless disregard for the right to life, violating international humanitarian law and exacerbating regional tensions by extending the conflict to civilian areas in Lebanon.

Additionally, the experts condemned the alleged assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas' political chief and former Palestinian Authority prime minister, in Tehran on 31 July, which is suspected to be an Israeli operation. They labeled this act as an extrajudicial killing and a violation of international law, emphasizing that such killings undermine peace efforts and destabilize the region. This assassination disrupts ceasefire negotiations and impedes attempts to bring Haniyeh to justice through international legal channels.

The experts underscored the urgent need for independent, impartial investigations into all three incidents, with full access to evidence and cooperation from relevant countries. They urged all parties to cease fire immediately to protect civilian lives and called on the United Nations Security Council to act decisively against threats to international peace and security.