President Joseph Aoun (fourth from left) meeting with the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk (third from left) on July 27, 2026 at Baabda Presidential Palace. (Credit: @LBpresidency/X)
BEIRUT — President Joseph Aoun condemned Israel's continued demolition of homes and villages in south Lebanon during a meeting Monday with U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, saying such actions constitute violations of international law and human rights, according to the Lebanese Presidency.
Aoun said, in comments relayed in a post on the Lebanese Presidency's X, that "the continued destruction of homes and the bulldozing of villages in the south constitute a direct violation of human rights and a clear breach of international laws and norms," calling for international action to put an end to the practices.
He also said that "Israel has targeted religious and heritage sites, which shows deliberate intentions against both people and property," adding that such locations "are not military sites and do not contain any armed presence."
Aoun reaffirmed that Lebanon remains committed to implementing the "framework agreement," but warned that "Israeli practices could affect its effectiveness." He added that Lebanon "will not accept the continued violation of its provisions."
According to the Presidency, Türk said that the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights is monitoring developments in Lebanon, particularly "the ongoing Israeli attacks since March 2," in order to prepare a detailed report on human rights violations.
In June, the U.N. human rights office in Geneva deployed a team of investigators to Lebanon to "assess potential violations of international law by all parties during the current war in the country," Türk had said.
On X, Türk said that on Monday he that "heard from those who lost loved ones and homes in Israeli attacks, as drones hovered overhead. The sorrow, despair and frustration is palpable. The toll on civilians is devastating. One message relayed unanimously to me was the demand for justice."
Aoun has repeatedly defended the Lebanese authorities' decision to launch direct negotiations with Israel, which led to the signing of a U.S.-brokered framework agreement on June 26. He said that "the majority of Lebanese" support the decision.
Israel has killed more than 4,300 people in Lebanon since March 2, according to the Health Ministry's official figures. Its war on Lebanon resumed after a 15-month "cease-fire" that had been undermined by daily Israeli attacks since November 2024, following 13 months of war that began on Oct. 8, 2023.
