UN experts condemn extrajudicial killing of Hamas leader in Lebanon

United Nations human rights and counter-terrorism experts have condemned the killing of Saleh al-Aruri, the deputy leader of the Palestinian group Hamas, and six others in an Israeli drone strike in Lebanon last week, calling it synonymous with assassination and extrajudicial killing. is given

The two United Nations Special Envoys, Ben Sal and Morris Tidball Binns, said in a statement released on Tuesday in Geneva that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and senior Israeli officials are not willing to kill Hamas leaders anywhere in the world. He also condemned the threats.

“All states are prohibited from depriving people of their right to life at their own discretion during military or security operations abroad, including counter-terrorism,” the two experts said.

He said that killings on foreign soil are personal or arbitrary when they are not permitted by international law. Israel was not exercising self-defense because it presented no evidence that the victims were launching an armed attack on Israel from Lebanese soil.’

According to UN experts Ben Sal and Morris Tidball Binns, Israel neither presented any legal justification for the attack nor reported it to the Security Council under Article 51 of the UN Charter.

“No legal justification for Israel’s military operations against Hamas in Gaza in response to the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel from Gaza gives permission for attacks in Lebanon or other countries,” the statement said. There is no legal basis for geographically unlimited attacks against members of an armed group.

“Israel has a sad history of killing suspected terrorists abroad, such as the killing of a Hamas member in the United Arab Emirates in 2010 and hundreds of strikes against Hezbollah in the Syrian civil war. The Israeli police and courts should bring to justice all those involved in these alleged murders.

The experts of the world organization have warned that the Israeli attack is a dangerous territorial escalation in the Gaza conflict, a violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty and the prohibited use of military force against Lebanese territory contrary to Article 2 (4) of the United Nations Charter.

The Security Council, the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council have repeatedly declared that states must respect international law in counter-terrorism.

The United Nations has said that terrorism is a threat to human rights.

UN human rights and counter-terrorism experts have stressed that Lebanon has a responsibility to prevent the use of its territory to prepare terrorist acts against Israeli citizens and to comply with human rights laws. Investigate, arrest and prosecute or extradite persons suspected of involvement in terrorism in Lebanon or Israel accordingly.

Iran and other countries, including Syria, have a responsibility not to support any preparation of terrorism against Israeli citizens in Lebanon or Palestine.

The experts urged the Security Council to fulfill its responsibility to respond effectively to all countries in the region whose actions threaten international peace and security.

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