Weaponizing ordinary devices violates international law, United Nations rights chief says

Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations human rights chief says weaponizing ordinary communication devices represents a new development in warfare. He also says that targeting thousands of Lebanese people using pagers, two-way radios and electronic equipment without their knowledge is a violation of international human rights law. Volker Türk told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Friday there must be an independent and transparent investigation of the two attacks in Lebanon where these devices exploded. The attacks have reportedly killed 37 people and injured more than 3,400 others. Lebanon has blamed Israel for the attacks. When reporters asked Israel’s U.N. ambassador about speculation Israel was behind the two explosions, he said: “We are not commenting.”