UN Human Rights Council names experts to probe Israeli civilian killings in Lebanon

The United Nations Human Rights Council today named three members of the High-Level Commission of Inquiry probing what the Geneva-based body termed “systematic targeting and killings of civilians by Israel” in Lebanon.

The three experts are: Clemente Baena Soares of Brazil, a former Secretary-General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Mohamed Chande Othman, a judge on the Supreme Court of Tanzania, and Stelios Perrakis of Greece, who is the Director of the European Centre for Research and Training on Human Rights and Humanitarian Action.

The High-Level Commission of Inquiry was established in August by a resolution of the Council which mandated it to investigate the systematic targeting and killings of civilians by Israel, examine the types of weapons used by Israel and their conformity with international law, and assess the extent and deadly impact of Israeli attacks on human life, property, critical infrastructure and environment.

The resolution, which was adopted by a vote of 27 in favour to 11 against with 8 abstentions, strongly condemned the “grave Israeli violations of human rights and breaches of international humanitarian law in Lebanon” and called on Israel “to observe the principle of proportionality and refrain from launching any attack that may be expected to cause incidental loss of civilian life.”