Israel’s attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus constitutes a violation of international law, says a report by independent UN experts.

The group of independent experts was appointed by the UN Human Rights Council.

In the same report, special rapporteurs and independent experts also state that “retaliatory military strikes between Israel and Iran violate the right to life and must stop immediately.”

In particular, the report states that “All countries are prohibited from arbitrarily depriving individuals of the right to life in military operations abroad, including in the face of terrorism. Killings on foreign soil are arbitrary when they are not permitted under international law.”

Experts note that Israel does not appear to have acted in self-defense on April 1 because it did not present evidence that Iran was conducting a direct “armed attack” on Israel or that it was sending non-state armed groups to attack it. Experts say Israel did not provide any legal justification for the strike or report it to the Security Council, as required by Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.

“Israel’s attack therefore violated the prohibition of the use of armed force against another state under Article 2(4) of the Charter,” the experts said.

Tehran has blamed Israel for the attack on its diplomatic compound in the Syrian capital, which killed top military leaders. Israel neither confirmed nor denied the operation.