(MENAFN) The UN human rights office on Tuesday urged immediate and impartial investigations into a deadly Israeli strike on the Ein el-Hilweh refugee camp in southern Lebanon, warning that the attack “may have violated international humanitarian law principles on the conduct of hostilities,” according to reports.

The appeal comes amid rising Israeli military operations in Lebanon, nearly a year after a ceasefire was agreed.

“Almost a year since the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel was agreed, we continue to witness increasing attacks by the Israeli military, resulting in the killing of civilians and destruction of civilian objects in Lebanon, coupled with alarming threats of a wider, intensified offensive,” OHCHR spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan told reporters in Geneva.

He said Israeli strikes have killed at least 127 civilians in Lebanon since the ceasefire took effect on Nov. 27, 2024, highlighting last week’s attack on the Ein el-Hilweh camp near Sidon as one of the deadliest.

"At least 13 civilians, including 11 children, were killed and at least six civilians injured," Al-Kheetan said, adding: "All the fatalities we have documented as a result of this strike were civilians, raising serious concerns that the Israeli military's attack may have violated international humanitarian law principles on the conduct of hostilities."

He stressed the need for prompt and impartial investigations into this strike and all other incidents that may involve violations of international humanitarian law by any party, both before and after the ceasefire, emphasizing that those responsible must be held accountable.

Israeli attacks have also damaged homes, roads, factories, and construction sites, hampering reconstruction and preventing displaced families from returning to southern Lebanon. Al-Kheetan cited a Nov. 16 strike on a cement and asphalt factory in Ansar that destroyed dozens of concrete mixers, cranes, and fuel tanks.

Over 64,000 people, mostly from southern Lebanon, remain displaced. The spokesperson noted that Israel has begun constructing a wall encroaching on Lebanese territory, rendering 4,000 square meters inaccessible and affecting residents’ right to return.

"All those internally displaced must be able to go back to their homes, and reconstruction should be supported, not tampered with," he said, urging all parties to uphold the ceasefire “in good faith.” He warned that only a permanent cessation of hostilities can protect civilians and stressed that accountability for violations of international human rights and humanitarian law “must be realized.”

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