Lebanese President: Israeli occupation's destruction of villages is a blatant violation of human rights and international law

Beirut, July 27 (KUNA) -- Lebanese President Joseph Aoun affirmed on Monday that the Israeli occupation forces’ continued destruction of homes and bulldozing of villages in the south constitutes a direct violation of human rights and a blatant breach of international laws and norms. The Lebanese Presidency said in a statement that this remark came during President Aoun’s reception of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, to discuss developments and ongoing field violations by the Israeli occupation in southern Lebanon. President Aoun said that Israeli occupation forces also targeted religious and heritage sites, demonstrating deliberate hostility toward both people and property, which necessitates international action to halt such acts. He stressed that such sites “are not military and do not host any armed presence.” The Lebanese president underscored his country’s commitment to implementing the Framework Agreement reached with the Israeli occupation under US mediation last month, while warning that the occupation’s practices could undermine its effectiveness. Aoun renewed Lebanon’s rejection of the Israeli occupation’s daily violations in southern villages, calling for pressure on the occupation forces to comply with the provisions of the Framework Agreement and its annexes. For his part, Volker Türk affirmed that the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is monitoring developments in Lebanon, particularly the ongoing attacks by Israeli occupation forces since March 2, “to prepare a detailed report on violations affecting human rights.” (End) F.Z. / M.A.A.