The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has warned of racial discrimination amid worsening humanitarian conditions in Lebanon, calling for an immediate end to attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure as deaths, mass displacement and widespread destruction linked to Israeli military operations continue to rise.
Acting under its Early Warning and Urgent Action Procedure, the UN committee indicated that the prohibition of racial discrimination remains applicable even during armed conflict, stressing that no circumstances of war can justify measures or rhetoric that discriminate against people based on national or ethnic origin, descent or religion.
The intervention comes as Lebanon faces a deepening humanitarian emergency following intensified Israeli military operations that have reportedly killed more than 4,300 people and injured at least 12,200 others since March 2026.
CERD expressed particular alarm over the reported scale of civilian casualties and destruction caused by airstrikes, shelling and the use of explosive weapons in densely populated areas.
According to the committee, the attacks have affected residential communities and essential civilian infrastructure, raising concerns over the consequences for people already struggling to access basic services.
The situation has also triggered a major displacement crisis, with large numbers of Lebanese civilians forced to leave their homes following evacuation and displacement orders issued across southern Lebanon and areas between the Litani and Zahrani rivers.
According to the committee, more than 70 displacement warnings were issued in March alone, affecting at least 189 towns and villages and covering approximately 14 per cent of Lebanese territory. The orders contributed to the displacement of more than one million people in less than three weeks.
Although some displaced residents subsequently returned to their communities, the scale of displacement remained substantial. More than 360,000 people were still displaced at the end of July, including approximately 27,200 people living in collective shelters.
The figures underline the continuing impact of the conflict beyond the immediate battlefield, with communities facing the loss of homes, livelihoods and access to essential services.
CERD also raised concerns about the destruction of civilian infrastructure across southern Lebanon, saying reports indicate that entire villages have been rendered uninhabitable. Residential buildings, schools, healthcare facilities, water and electricity systems, places of worship and agricultural land have reportedly been destroyed through strikes and demolitions.
Moreover, the UN experts added that they were deeply alarmed by public statements from Israeli officials threatening to impose on Lebanon a level of destruction comparable to that experienced in Gaza.
They also highlighted remarks attributed to Israel’s Defence Minister that characterised the Shia inhabitants of 24 villages in southern Lebanon as enemies while justifying the destruction of their homes.
For CERD, such rhetoric raises serious concerns because language that associates an entire population with an armed group or conflict can contribute to dehumanisation and collective punishment.
The committee therefore urged Israel to cease rhetoric that dehumanises Lebanon’s population and to refrain from statements that could legitimise collective punishment or incite violence on grounds of national or ethnic origin, descent or religion.
At the same time, CERD acknowledged concerns over attacks originating from Lebanese territory. The committee expressed deep concern over rockets fired by Hezbollah into populated areas of Israel, noting that such attacks have caused civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure.
By addressing actions by both sides, the committee called for the protection of civilians regardless of their nationality, ethnicity, religion or location.
UN Demands End to Displacement Orders and Calls for Humanitarian Access
The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) called on Israel and all parties to the conflict to immediately cease attacks directed against civilians or civilian objects, as well as attacks that indiscriminately affect civilian populations.
The committee specifically urged Israel to rescind blanket displacement and evacuation orders affecting communities in Lebanon and to refrain from the forcible transfer of civilians from southern Lebanon.
It further called for measures to prevent acts that could constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity or serious violations of international humanitarian law and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
The committee also called for safe, voluntary and dignified returns for displaced people, alongside unimpeded humanitarian access to affected communities.
CERD consequently urged Israel to provide just and adequate reparation for damage suffered, without discrimination based on national or ethnic origin or descent.
The committee also expanded its appeal beyond the parties directly involved in the conflict, calling on all states that are party to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination to exercise greater caution over military transfers.
It urged states to “cease and refrain from the sale, transfer or diversion of arms, munitions and other military equipment to any party where there is a clear risk that they could be used to commit or facilitate violations of the Convention, international human rights law or international humanitarian law, or crimes under international law.”
CERD’s warning is therefore not limited to the immediate conduct of military operations. It also points to the longer-term consequences of displacement, destruction and rhetoric that could deepen divisions along ethnic, national or religious lines.
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