UNITED Nations human rights chief Louise Arbour said today the scale of killing in Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian territories could involve war crimes.
Expressing grave concern at the killing and maiming of civilians in the region, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said international humanitarian law was clear on the need to protect non-combatants.
"This obligation is also expressed in international criminal law, which defines war crimes and crimes against humanity," she said in a statement.
"The scale of the killings in the region, and their predictability, could engage the personal criminal responsibility of those involved, particularly those in a position of command and control," she said without pointing the finger at anyone in particular.
Ms Arbour, a former Canadian Supreme Court judge and war crimes prosecutor, said the "indiscriminate shelling" of cities and the bombing of sites where innocent civilians would inevitably suffer were both unacceptable. |