UN is totally irrelevant. Next.
Attacking a civilian population of a country you’re not at war with is a violation of international law.
And Isreal has done it at least nine times in the last year.
Well yeah just add another war crime to the list.
As if Israel suddenly is going to care about international law. They have been committing war crimes and crimes against humanity for a long time now. This is telling nazis “hey, what you are doing is bad mkay?” like they would give a fuck.
absolutely. i mean it is not as shitty as cutting of the breasts of women who attended that festival back then. but I do not understand how pagers are “ordinary devices”. what a joke. and why does iranian ambassador have one?
Just because terrorists are doing horrible acts, doesn’t mean you are free to do whatever you want. Crimes against humanity and war crimes do not have an asterisk saying “except when the enemy commits crimes too”.
About the pagers, are they specifically made for the military? Or are they commercially available? Just because terrorists use them doesn’t mean no one else does. There are still many hospitals for example using pagers. Does that make doctors terrorists or military?
I find this a far more compelling view. Trapping the equipment of enemy paramilitaries seems a very strange hill to die on to paint as a war crime. On the other hand, the haphazard distribution of the pagers and the lack of care taken to minimize civilian casualties absolutely suggests this was a war crime - just not for the reason of trapping communications devices.
Feels like increasingly that is the new reality for all of us, everything is a potential attack vector, even if it’s much less lethal attacks. Data grabs, money grabs, attention grabs. Show me something weaponizable that isn’t being exploited as one in one way or another.
Yes. But do pants! That would be fun…
ok sir your shoes go in this bin. We want your pants, underwear and belt in that other one. Those will be returned to you after the flight reaches Michigan…
Oh. We’re sorry sir, your luggage is here, but your pants, belt and underwear were flown to Michoacan. Very common occurrence. You may take this pair of paper pants with our Logo while we wait for several connection flights for your belongings…
Fucking this is not hard.
Either that is illegal, or the Unibomber was just.
All you have to do to realize that this is a terrorist attack is to close your eyes and imagine the media response if Hezbolah did this to the IDF.
If they did it to the IDF, I doubt many would have an issue with it. Military is always a valid target in war.
If it was done to random civilians, then most would.
It all hinges on just how targeted the attack is, and how much you believe Mossad’s claims that it was all Hezbollah. We’ve seen their claims on bombing Hamas militants, and I doubt everyone in those 8 floor residential buildings were all Hamas members.
Doubt.
If they had snuck explosives into cell phones of IDF soldiers and then detonated them in mass while the soldiers were at home with their families it would not be acceptable.
I totally agree that this attack was indiscriminate. I think part of the point was the psychological impact of being attacked that way. How could you ever feel safe again after knowing anything around you could be a small explosive device.
It is a huge escalation that will undoubtedly created another huge wave of terrorism. Israel has always been its own worst enemy.
A different analysis from an expert in international law. https://lieber.westpoint.edu/exploding-pagers-law/
Thanks for sharing this. My gut reaction is that that these attacks were unreasonable and careless in who they impacted and should be criminal. But it’s very interesting to read an analysis of the actual law - even if I don’t agree with it
It comes to the same conclusion regarding the illegality of the weapons, even if it’s pretty lenient in its interpretation of how thousands of devices can be “reasonably expected” to all end up in the hands of combatants.
Encrypted communications equipment purchased for military use are not ordinary devices, and under international law if a device is used for military transmissions it is a valid target and can be attacked.
under international law if a device is used for military transmissions it is a valid target and can be attacked.
I think this means that if an Israeli sells you a phone, they become a valid target for military strikes.
Many were not used by the military and the explosions happened during the day in uncontrolled circumstances. Many civilians got hurt.
Many were not used by the military
Why on earth would civilians be using encrypted military grade pagers purchased by a terror organization for exclusive use by it’s members?
Honestly, the real question to me is how many innocent people were maimed, injured, or killed in this attack. This is incredibly indiscriminate, even though the idea is that only the bad guys are holding the pages or walkie-talkies, but if they’re in a cafe they’re not the only ones getting hurt. Think of it as attaching an explosive to a thousand Hezbollah people, and then exploding them as they wander through a city. That’s the true crime, the potentially disproportionate massacre of innocent civilians.
Agree, I am incredibly disturbed by the nature of this attack and the implications for how other countries might use this idea.
Honestly, the real question to me is how many innocent people were maimed, injured, or killed in this attack.
Quite a bit fewer than 0.1% of the individual detonations appear to have harmed anyone except the Hezbollah operative assigned to the pager, so this doesn’t actually appear to be a question. The attack was extremely discriminate and targeted.
but if they’re in a cafe they’re not the only ones getting hurt.
In every case in which one of these went off in a cafe, the intended target was the only one hurt.
That’s the true crime, the potentially disproportionate massacre of innocent civilians.
But that isn’t what happened. The opposite happened.
Ok, I’m sure it’s all as you say. 5 days old account that is totally not suspicious.
Defending Israel on Lenny leads to banning, it’s happened several times
lol good
Several of the victims were children. They went off in crowds. There was no way they could control that many devices with precision when they set them off all at once like that.
At least it was somewhat targeted, unlike Gaza.
https://x.com/osint613/status/1837614316335648888?s=46
Here’s an example of how targeted the strike was, despite literally going off in a crowd - nobody hurt but the intended target, no harm whatsoever beyond two feet. Doesn’t even bruise an apple
The mental gymnastics people will do to defend literal state sponsored terrorism.
And don’t waste your time, I actually know what those words mean.
Yes, it’s pretty shocking how people have come out in support of an Iranian-funded terrorist group that has killed women, children, and a hundred Americans
Oh look, it is time for round two: Strawman Boogaloo.
As opposed to the American-funded terrorist state that has killed women, children and a couple thousands of Palestinian civilians?
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Try harder.
That particular pager was in a bag, against a person, pointed away from anyone or anything else. Not to mention anything of the second attack, which used much larger charges and started fires and blew out windows across Lebanon.
And anyway, a single example isn’t going to assuage anyone who has been reading reports of women and children dying from the attack.
They’re also ignoring the literal terror being experienced by civilians who witnessed people’s legs and faces being blown off in public.
That’s terrorism.
That particular pager was in a bag, against a person, pointed away from anyone or anything else.
Where else would you carry a pager? You have to feel it when it vibrates.
Not to mention anything of the second attack, which used much larger charges and started fires and blew out windows across Lebanon.
Well, I’m sorry to hear that Lebanon’s glazers just got several months of guaranteed work, I guess, but I’m otherwise not sure why this is relevant.
And anyway, a single example isn’t going to assuage anyone who has been reading reports of women and children dying from the attack.
What reports?
I’m otherwise not sure why this is relevant.
Because you were claiming the explosions were too small to “bruise and apple”
What reports?
Because you were claiming the explosions were too small to “bruise and apple”
ok, and how is that refuted by the physical description of an ambulance?
Several of the victims were children.
The fathers of these dead children will simply have to live with the terrible consequences of their involvement with antisemitic terror (who are we kidding, they don’t care.)
They went off in crowds.
In every such case only the agent was harmed. You’re proving how targeted the attack was.
The kid’s blood is still on whoever triggered the devices hands. The child didn’t do anything.
Do you have a source stating that no bystanders were harmed? I can’t find anything making that claim.
Do you have a source stating that no bystanders were harmed?
They keep citing a tweet while others keep refuting what they’re saying with articles from BBC, NPR, and other news outlets. There’s no point in arguing with someone that can’t provide reputable sources for their claims.
*Edit: typo
But they have a video of a single incident!
The child didn’t do anything.
Well, no; they handled a secure device without authorization.
In the US the father would be guilty of a Federal crime. It’s safe to say that it’s against Hezbollah’s operational rules as well. The child is dead because the father broke the rules.
In other cases of minors being killed in this attack, they actually were Hezbollah agents with their own issued pagers. Israel doesn’t force Hezbollah to employ child soldiers.
Do you have a source stating that no bystanders were harmed?
It’s your claim that they were harmed. What’s your source? Here’s an example on video of the device going off near bystanders:
https://x.com/osint613/status/1837614316335648888?s=46
Why would I believe it’s possible for this charge to harm anyone not carrying the pager?
First article I pulled up:
Many, but not all, of the pagers and walkie-talkies that unexpectedly blew up over two days across Lebanon and in some neighboring countries were in the possession of Hezbollah fighters, functionaries or allies. In this photo, an ambulance believed to be carrying wounded people drives down a street in a southern suburb of Beirut on September 18, 2024. The ambulance is white with a blue light on top that spans the width of the vehicle. Men stand on the sides of the street, which is lined with buildings. Middle East crisis — explained Another wave of blasts hits Lebanon, as Hezbollah reels from pager explosions
The group is designated as a terrorist organization by several nations, including the United States, but many of its members and supporters operate in civilian areas across Lebanon — and some of the explosions left innocent bystanders, including children, injured or dead.
Ok, and what does this refute? I haven’t claimed there to be zero civilian casualties, but it’s currently fewer than one in one thousand.
Again, I’ve posted video. Why would I believe that could harm anyone but the bearer?
Not to mention that Hezbollah is an actual political party in Lebanon, not just a resistance group.
The fathers of these dead children will simply have to live with the terrible consequences of their involvement with antisemitic terror
So the children have to pay for their father’s crimes? This isn’t really a justification, and they don’t not care, now they have a real reason for retaliation—starting the cycle of hate all over again.
So the children have to pay for their father’s crimes?
No, they don’t have to. But they will when their fathers deliberately put them in danger.
Again, he’ll just have to live with the tragic consequences (just kidding, we know he doesn’t care.)
And you complain about pro Israel accounts getting banned. Literally justifying the murder of children should be banable no matter what county you’re supporting. Despicable behavior that everyone now sadly expects from rabid genocide supporters.
I’m not justifying the murder of anyone. I’m informing you as to with whom the moral responsibility lies: Hezbollah and its inhuman terrorist sons of bitches. It shouldn’t be a “bannable offense” to have moral clarity, but this is no place for free discussion, after all. It’s an echo chamber of hating Jews.
Says who?
Says Hezbollah, and all reporting from Lebanon.
Source? Not being shitty but serious
Hezbollah publicly announces their war casualties so they’re the source
I don’t know how to explain that any more clearly. If you’re still puzzled, I recommend asking a question instead of posting a single word
They are asking for the source of your statement that less then 0.1% of the victims where valid targets. Since most have seen evidence to the exact opposite of that statement.
Oh and although I can put links to back that statement up, I will not. (Since that is the presiding fashion here apparently)
They are asking for the source of your statement that less then 0.1% of the victims where valid targets
Hezbollah is the source. That’s three times I’ve said so. What about that is still unclear?
All numbers to you eh?
I can’t have sympathy for murderous antisemites
Not murder, by your logic.
They’ve targeted civilians, including 40 people at a US Embassy.
Both sides have.
Israel doesn’t target civilians.
Looks like murders of innocent civilians were done by semites… As it’s most often the case.
A collateral civilian death during a military action has never been considered “murder.” It can’t be, since it’s unintentional.
Just completely ignore the concept of proportional response and the Principle of Proportionality.
If you’re going to pretend to be an expert on international law…
1000 militants per civilian meets every definition of proportionate
There has been quite a lot of collateral civilian casualties, how many more people must die and how many more people must suffer under poverty in the name of the great American empire?
There has been quite a lot of collateral civilian casualties, how many more people must die
None, if Israel’s enemies surrender and end the war. That’s how war works.
Israel:
seen ✓✓
Do something about it, then.
What is the UN human rights chief supposed to do about it?
He did all that was in his power:
Volker Türk told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council there must be an independent and transparent investigation of the two attacks in Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday where these devices exploded, reportedly killing 37 people and injuring more than 3,400 others.
They could all say they are going to disband if Israel doesn’t stop. Why even have the UN if they can’t do anything
Or better yet expel isreal
First of all, that’s also not in his power.
Secondly, how would disbanding the part of the UN that investigates human rights abuses help Palestinians?
No I think the un is mostly useless.
They are united about nothing
That’s not what the UN is for… it’s not a military force… it’s a round table for nations to work their differences out via words and not nuking each other.
People like to criticise the UN but the alternative to having the UN is having no UN. We’d be fucked
We need something more than the UN that has real power to stop Israel’s terror and genocide. The UN can fuck off and prevent it’s theoretical events elsewhere.
How would you react if the UN becomes the world government, so that they would finally have the power to stop wars and hunger that people always complain about?
Precisely.
I may be ok with that depending on the governing structure they came up with for a world government. Like would it be a democracy? Socialism? It really depends lol
But right now it seems very ineffective if America or Israel does something horrible they can just veto or whatever and nothing gets done.
As an American myself I would love it if the UN actually had powers to keep my government in line. they sure as hell don’t listen to the will of the people.
There is no reason why the UN as a world government could not be a democracy. After all, the institution has always been parroting about the rule of law; ending world hunger and poverty; and the UN General Assembly rightfully called out blatant violations of international laws. The WHO is the most successful organisation by containing anf eradicating many diseases including smallpox and COVID.
People complain of the UN being powerless, and yet distrustful of giving it more power. Either it has to remain no powerless or furnish it with actual power. The doublethink should end and people have to make up their minds.
The UN should disband for not stopping Israel, something the US (Biden right now) would stop yet when Biden was criticized you defended him as ‘there was nothing he could do’.
Love Americans and their hypocrisy.
The US will veto any action.
It’s them you should be criticizing. It’s always them or Russia/China for the other team.
You won’t be so smug when people stop buying iPhones.
They are…
They’ve had arrest warrants out for a while, but they do t have their own police force to enforce it
It relies on member states arresting them when they enter their country. It why Bibi hasn’t been going anywhere besides America. Biden is one of the few leaders willing to side with Israel over the UN
Aren’t there arrest warrants against George W. Bush from like 20 years ago? This is just more talk that won’t be backed up by any meaningful action because of how trivially easy it is to avoid going to these countries.
Oh man this letter is going to be worded so sternly!
I bet they’re gonna BLAST them! In a literary sense
this is the ultimate test of these institutions and their letters just shows they failed.
“This letter is so VIBRANT with EXTREME ANGER that it will explode… but only metaphorically.”
Respectfullysubmitted,United Nations
We’re talking double secret probation. Super cereal shit man.
Constantly wringing my hands at the lack of adults in leadership. Accountability ends atrocity.