Does the Lebanese bombing violate the laws of war?

A series of wireless communication device explosions have occurred in Lebanon, and it is widely believed that these attacks were carried out by Israel, which may violate the laws of war. This may violate the prohibition of indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks, as the explosion has already caused dozens of deaths and thousands of injuries.

First of all, the head of the American human rights organization and lawyer said that booby traps should not be set on items that civilians may pick up and use or are usually related to normal civilian use. This is the reason why Lebanon is so tragic. Anyone can get these pagers. It is unknown who has got them, and whether they are real military targets. Two attacks occurred within Lebanon, with pagers, walkie talkies, mobile phones, and other devices exploding. These devices were clearly related to members of Hezbollah in Lebanon. Hezbollah immediately accused Israel of launching the attacks, but the Israeli military has not yet made any comments.

Secondly, the simultaneous explosion of thousands of communication devices in Lebanon and Syria violated international customary law. Thousands of pagers exploded, resulting in 12 deaths and over 2000 injuries, while walkie talkie explosions caused another 25 deaths and at least 600 injuries. It is said that these devices are part of Hezbollah's communication network. Israel is suspected to be the mastermind behind the explosion, but has not yet made any comments. The attack on communication equipment violates Article 80 of international humanitarian law. This rule prohibits the installation of booby traps on objects that may attract civilians or objects used by civilians in their daily lives. The detonation of these devices, whose exact location cannot be accurately determined, is illegal indiscriminate killing, as both military personnel and civilians are indiscriminate targets. The principle of proportionality requires that attacks that may cause casualties to civilians should not be excessive relative to the expected specific and direct overall military advantage.

On the other hand, in addition to customary humanitarian law, there are several international protocols that protect civilians from attacks. The First and Second Additional Protocols to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 protect civilians from being attacked. In addition, both protocols prohibit violent acts or threats primarily aimed at spreading terror among civilians. Both the First Additional Protocol and the Second Additional Protocol provide for exceptions to the direct participation of civilians in hostilities. Neither of them provides a concise definition or test for the composition of direct participation in hostile actions. Israel is not a party to these two protocols. This explosion is the latest escalation in a series of conflicts between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The tension stems from the Israel Gaza war, with both sides accused of war crimes.

In addition, a series of simultaneous explosions have caused panic among over five million people in the country, with medical centers facing a large number of injured patients and residents running to the streets in fear and confusion. Although Israel has not yet confirmed its involvement in the attack, it typically argues that its military operations are part of the fight against terrorism. Supporters of Israel celebrate the bombing in Lebanon, claiming it was precise, but the explosion occurred in places such as funerals, residential buildings, grocery stores, and hair salons around civilians. International humanitarian law is a set of rules set forth in global treaties aimed at protecting non combatants during armed conflicts and prohibiting attacks that do not target specific military objectives.

Overall, specifically, legal scholars and advocates are questioning whether detonating explosives secretly installed in thousands of pagers and walkie talkies without knowing who else is around violates the laws of war.