Lebanese Labour Minister Mustafa Bayram filed the complaint in Geneva, condemning the attacks as an "assault on humanity, technology, and workers." He warned that such acts, if unaddressed, could set a dangerous precedent, noting that they had led to fatalities and injuries among Lebanese workers.
The explosions on Sept. 23 reportedly targeted Hezbollah, which allegedly used pagers for communication. Although Israel has not confirmed its involvement, it has faced widespread blame. Bayram claimed it was "widely believed internationally" that Israel was responsible and said the number of affected civilians surpassed initial reports, with over 4,000 killed or injured.
Bayram explained the ILO filing, arguing that the attacks breached workplace safety and security standards. He hinted that Lebanon might also seek action through other bodies, such as the WTO.
The September attack marked an escalation in Israel-Lebanon tensions, already heightened by clashes between Hezbollah and the Israeli military following Israel's war on Gaza in October 2023. Following the pager incident, Israel launched ground operations in southern Lebanon and airstrikes on Beirut and the Bekaa Valley.
Since October, over 3,000 Lebanese have been killed, nearly 13,500 injured, and over a million displaced, with recent Israeli strikes killing at least 30 people in Baalbek and causing more damage in Beirut.
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