The UN is investigating possible crimes against Israel in Lebanon Israel attacks Lebanon News

High Commissioner Turk discusses the refugees and casualties in Lebanon, saying that Israel is violating international law.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has criticized Israel for human rights violations in Lebanon that could be considered war crimes.

Turk said on Monday during his visit to Lebanon that his office had documented violations of international law in the country, and called on the Israeli army to stop shelling and destroy terrorists in southern Lebanon.

“I am shocked by the amount of damage and suffering I have seen,” Turk said in a statement. “The hurt, the frustration and the disappointment are palpable – and the need for justice.”

Despite the cease-fire agreement signed in April, “the Israeli army continues to kill and injure people in Lebanon between airstrikes and ground operations,” said Turk.

Arriving at a school that has been repurposed as a shelter and host to around 1,000 displaced people, he rated some of the Israeli army’s violations as “probably war crimes”.

“This is the second or third time that many people have been displaced. Some have told me that they tried to return to their homes last week, but found that their villages had been destroyed,” he said.

In an interview with Al Jazeera on the same day, Turk said that “there is a sense of tiredness and frustration among people”.

When asked about the situation of UN staff who were affected by Israeli violence, Turk told Al Jazeera: “I have been working at the United Nations for the last 35 years, in the last two years, I never thought that when we get to Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, our friends are killed not only once or twice, but frankly, in an incomprehensible way.”

Turk also emphasized the importance of documenting violence in Israel and holding perpetrators accountable.

“I think a lot of people around the world care about … our work … (and) … the truth is coming out,” he said.

“We must say that no one is above international law and there are no exceptions.”