Credit: Gary Raynaldo /  United Nations world headquarters in New York

By Gary Raynaldo    /   DIPLOMATIC TIMES

The UN human rights office called for an independent probe into an Israeli airstrike that hit an apartment block in northern Lebanon on Monday, killing at least 22 people.  

“What we’re hearing is that amongst the 22 people who were killed were 12 women and two children,”  Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), told reporters at a press briefing in Geneva .  Laurence said it was a four-story residential building that was struck.  He said there are real concerns with respect to international humanitarian law and that OHCHR “would call for a prompt, independent and thorough investigation into this incident.”

1.2 Million People Impacted By Conflict in Lebanon 

Meanwhile, UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP) warned  that an “urgent humanitarian response is needed”  amid the escalating conflict in Lebanon.  “The war that the world wanted to avoid in Lebanon is now happening and has already triggered a catastrophe,” the UN agencies said in a joint statement. UNICEF and WFP added that “all  parties must prioritize the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.” They said some 1.2 million people in the country have been affected by the conflict.  “Nearly 190,000 displaced individuals are currently sheltered in over 1,000 facilities, while hundreds of thousands more are seeking safety among family and friends.”