![A view of a Lebanese flag near debris of a building after Israeli forces re-entered the southern town of Western Zawtar overnight violating the "Framework Agreement" reached between Israel and Lebanon that envisions a phased withdrawal, in Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, Lebanon on August 08, 2026. [Houssam Shbaro - Anadolu Agency]](https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AA-20260808-42169957-42169953-ISRAELI_ARMY_ENTER_LEBANONS_WESTERN_ZAWTAR_IN_VIOLATION_OF_FRAMEWORK_AGREEMENT.jpg)
The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) on Wednesday expressed alarm over statements by Israeli officials threatening to impose on Lebanon the “same level of destruction” as inflicted in Gaza and called for an end to rhetoric that dehumanizes the Lebanese population, Anadolu reports. Acting under its Early Warning and Urgent Action Procedure, CERD stressed that the prohibition of racial discrimination cannot be suspended during armed conflict. CERD said it was alarmed by civilian deaths, mass displacement, and widespread destruction resulting from Israeli military operations in Lebanon, including airstrikes, shelling, and the use of explosive weapons in densely populated areas. The committee also cited a statement by the Israeli defense minister characterizing “the Shia inhabitants of 24 […]
