A group of 23 United Nations human rights experts has called on all UN member states to halt weapons transfers to Israel following a wave of airstrikes across Lebanon that killed hundreds of people and intensified fears of a broader regional escalation linked to the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
The experts issued their warning after Israeli forces launched what they described as the largest coordinated wave of strikes on Lebanon in decades just hours after the United States and Iran announced a temporary ceasefire agreement. According to the statement, Israeli forces struck more than 150 sites across Lebanon within a 10-minute period on April 8, targeting infrastructure in densely populated areas of Beirut and causing significant civilian casualties and environmental damage.
“We are witnessing the continuing utmost contempt for the international legal order, for diplomacy, and above all for the lives of civilians and the environment in Lebanon,” the experts said. “Israel has chosen the very moment a ceasefire was announced—one that its Pakistani mediator stated included Lebanon—to unleash the largest coordinated wave of strikes on the country since 1980.”
At least 303 people were killed in the strikes and 1,150 were wounded, according to the experts’ statement. Hundreds remained trapped under rubble in the aftermath of the bombardment. The April 8 attack was part of a broader escalation that began on March 2, which has killed more than 2,000 people in Lebanon and displaced over 1 million residents from their homes.
The experts said the strikes caused “severe” environmental consequences, releasing pollutants into the air and water, damaging ecosystems, and generating greenhouse gas emissions. The destruction of civilian infrastructure and environmental contamination contributed to the group’s conclusion that the attacks violated international legal standards governing armed conflict.
“This is not self-defense. It is a blatant violation of the UN Charter, a deliberate destruction of prospects for peace, and an affront to multilateralism and the UN-based international order,” the experts said.
The statement was signed by 23 UN experts specializing in human rights issues, including Mai Soto, UN special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, and Francesca Albanese, UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories. The experts warned that Israel has “repeatedly violated Lebanon’s sovereignty” since a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah in November 2024, raising concerns about continued territorial escalation.
The experts called on all UN member states to urgently suspend arms transfers to Israel while evidence continues to mount that international law is being violated. They also urged Israel to end military operations in Lebanon and called on the United States to pressure Israel to halt attacks on civilians.
The statement further warned that the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has intensified instability during delicate negotiations aimed at extending the ceasefire agreement.
Experts said the blockade “is an act of war that has further destabilized the situation” amid ongoing diplomatic talks.
Calls for an arms embargo on Israel have resurfaced repeatedly during recent conflicts, including during the most intense periods of violence in Gaza. Human rights advocates have renewed those demands amid the expanding U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, which has killed more than 3,000 people, including over 1,700 civilians and more than 200 children, according to human rights group HRANA.
While international human rights experts called for immediate restrictions on weapons transfers, U.S. lawmakers again failed to advance legislation aimed at limiting the administration’s authority to continue the war on Iran.
The Senate voted 47 to 52 against advancing a war powers resolution introduced by Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois that sought to reassert Congress’s constitutional authority over military action. The vote marked the fourth failed attempt to pass a war powers resolution since the start of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran on February 28.
The vote largely followed party lines, with Sen. John Fetterman voting against advancing the resolution and Sen. Ron Paul voting to move it forward. Sen. Jim Justice did not vote.
The War Powers Resolution of 1973 requires congressional approval within 60 days of initiating hostilities, placing a May 1 deadline on the administration to obtain authorization for continued military operations. Despite the looming deadline, Republican lawmakers have largely continued backing President Donald Trump’s conduct of the war.
Public opposition to the conflict remains widespread. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that only 24 percent of Americans believe the war has been worth the “costs and benefits,” while 35 percent approve of the strikes on Iran.
Lawmakers opposing the war have argued that the continued expansion of military operations lacks clear legal justification and risks prolonging regional instability.
“We must not and cannot normalize President Trump’s reckless actions that have brought us to this point,” said Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, who has identified ending the war as a legislative priority.
Van Hollen also questioned the administration’s shifting rationale for the conflict.
“My question for my Republican colleagues is: If we won, what the hell are we still doing there?” Van Hollen said. “Well, we didn’t win, and it’s impossible to measure how you win, because the president never set forth clear rationales for this war—because there wasn’t really one to be had.”
Republican lawmakers have continued to defend the administration’s conduct of the war even as repeated votes to limit executive authority have failed. Sen. Cynthia Lummis described repeated attempts to hold votes on restricting the war as “exhausting” and said they risk “undermin[e] the president.”
Meanwhile, the Senate is expected to vote on legislation introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders that would block the sale of $500 million worth of 1,000-pound bombs and bulldozers to Israel. Similar legislative efforts have previously failed to gain sufficient support.
The continuation of weapons transfers to Israel remains a focal point of international criticism as violence spreads across multiple countries connected to the conflict. The UN experts’ call for an arms embargo reflects growing concern among international legal observers that ongoing military operations risk undermining diplomatic efforts to stabilize the region.
At the same time, reports indicate that the Pentagon is preparing for possible military operations in Cuba as negotiations with Iran continue. President Trump has repeatedly said that Cuba is “going to be next,” raising concerns that the conflict could expand further beyond its current scope.
The convergence of escalating military operations, repeated congressional inaction, and renewed international calls for arms restrictions reflects the widening scope of a conflict that now spans multiple countries and raises complex legal and humanitarian concerns.
“This is not self-defense. It is a blatant violation of the UN Charter, a deliberate destruction of prospects for peace, and an affront to multilateralism and the UN-based international order,” the UN experts said.
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