Cluster Munition Coalition Statement on Lebanon

The escalation of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon is deeply concerning. The Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC) warns against any use of cluster munitions by any actor under any circumstances.

International humanitarian law is very clear. All parties to an armed conflict must at all times distinguish between the civilian population and combatants, and between civilian objects and military objectives. Constant care must be taken to spare the civilian population and civilian objects from the devastating effects of warfare. The use of cluster munitions violates these fundamental principles, as they kill, wound, and destroy indiscriminately, impacting civilians long after conflict ends.

The last time that Israel used cluster munitions was in south Lebanon in July and August 2006, causing hundreds of civilian casualties and contaminating land with remnants that are still being cleared to this day. Hezbollah forces also fired cluster munitions into civilian areas of northern Israel during the 2006 conflict.

No one should use cluster munitions anywhere, under any circumstances. The Cluster Munition Coalition urges States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions to actively discourage any use of these weapons, which cause untold harm to civilians and violate the principles of international humanitarian law.

On September 24, a photo of an unexploded submunition circulated on social media that was purportedly taken in south Lebanon. It appears to show a DPICM-type submunition made in China. Information suggests that the submunition was ejected from a storage facility that was attacked, but the CMC continue to monitor the situation.