NGOs call for UN emergency meeting and investigation on Lebanon

A group of NGOs pressed countries on Wednesday to hold an emergency session of the United Nations Human Rights Council to set up an investigation into abuses regarding Israel's war on Lebanon.

In a letter to diplomatic missions, 12 NGOs, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, urged states to act decisively over a situation "spiralling out of control", citing incidents such as Israeli strikes on civilian infrastructure including homes and hospitals.

"There's a huge risk of the same types of atrocities occurring in Lebanon as in Gaza," said Jeremie Smith, Geneva director of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, whose organisation is leading the call.

More than 3,000 deaths have been reported in Lebanon as a result of Israeli strikes since 7 October 2023.