Independent human rights experts, appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, warned on Wednesday that civilians are paying a “devastating and disproportionate toll,” with homes destroyed, entire towns cut off and many communities in southern Lebanon still inaccessible.

As a result, thousands of displaced people remain unable to return home.

More than 4,300 people have reportedly been killed since 2 March, including 392 women and 253 children, while more than 12,000 have been injured.

“Evacuation is an exceptional and strictly temporary measure. It may only be used to protect the safety of civilians or for imperative military reasons, not to depopulate and occupy areas,” the experts said, stressing that displacement should only ever be used as a temporary measure to protect civilians.

They added that civilians “have the right to return voluntarily and safely to their homes once the circumstances justifying their displacement have ceased.”

Heightened risk

The humanitarian consequences have been especially severe for women and children. Since fighting escalated in March, an estimated 620,000 women and girls have been displaced, including around 16,000 pregnant women.

Many are reportedly giving birth in overcrowded shelters after hospitals and maternity services were damaged or forced to close, leaving mothers and newborns without essential care.

“Forced displacement has exposed women and girls to heightened risks of violence and abuse, while the destruction of healthcare services has deprived many of essential reproductive and maternal healthcare,” the experts said.

Calls for civilian protection

The experts also voiced concern over reports of white phosphorus being used in residential areas, warning that the substance can cause severe burns, respiratory injuries and lasting health effects, particularly for children and pregnant women.

“The protection of civilians, including women and girls, in times of war is not optional for any warring party,” they said. “It is a legal obligation that must be urgently upheld.”

The experts called on all parties to uphold international humanitarian law, protect civilians and enable people displaced by the fighting to return home safely when conditions allow.

Independent experts are not UN staff, receive no salary for their work and operate independently from any government or organization.