GENEVA (Sputnik) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is not going to comment on mass communication device explosions in Lebanon, but prefers to hold a confidential dialogue with the parties to the conflict, an official representative of the organization told Sputnik.
«This was a unique operation, and it will take time to have all the facts to establish a legal opinion. The ICRC will not comment publicly on if this was a violation of international humanitarian law or not, in line with our established approach to speak to parties to conflict directly and confidentially about their legal obligations,» the spokesman said.
He added that in all armed conflicts, attacks must be carried out in accordance with the general rules of warfare, including the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution.
On Tuesday, pager detonations took place across Lebanon, killing 12 people and injuring over 2,800 others, the Lebanese Health Ministry said. A second wave of mass explosions of communication devices belonging to members of Lebanese Shia movement Hezbollah on Wednesday killed at least 25 people and wounded more than 600, according to the ministry. Lebanon believes that Israeli intelligence services are behind the detonations.
