Last week, thousands of communications devices in Lebanon were remotely exploded after having been implanted with undetectable bombs during manufacturing. The devices were specifically designed to blind and maim the users. But when detonated, the perpetrator had no idea if the victim of the bomb was a combatant, an ambulance driver, or if the electronic sounds had attracted the attention of a curious child.

Such devices are a clear violation of the internationally established laws of war and represent a very dangerous escalation of state-sponsored terrorism. Article 7 (2) of the Amended Protocol II of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons prohibits treachery or the use of booby traps during war. But as of this writing, neither of the two major presidential candidates have condemned this new tactic. Some third-party candidates have done so, and former CIA Director Leon Panetta labeled the explosions as a form of terrorism.

Sadly, U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., praised this act as a “brilliant” attack. Unfortunately, using violence only begets more violence. Using terrorism only results in more terrorism. The path to peace can realistically only be traveled by advocating for justice and understanding. The recent attacks will radicalize additional individuals and weaken all our protections.

The United States and the international community should band together to condemn this type of attack. Those responsible should be identified and held accountable. Ignoring the attack, or actively praising it, will legitimize the placing of undetectable explosive devices in other consumer goods. To date, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

We have little control over the offshore manufacturing of the products we buy and use every day. Many of our products are built in countries that could be considered hostile to us. If this crime is left as acceptable behavior, then sleeper bombs could be embedded in your daughter’s new cellphone, your son’s electronic toy, your pilot’s headphones, or even your baby monitor, all just waiting to be triggered in a mass casualty terrorist attack.

These bombs made it easily through airport security and can be embedded so deeply in a device that they cannot be found without the destruction of the product. The TSA is currently powerless to detect these devices, and it would be extremely unpopular to ban all electronic devices from commercial aircraft as a preventative measure. Many cellphones have nonreplaceable batteries, and a battery module installed during manufacturing is an ideal place to hide a bomb that could wait years for a trigger. And even if only one in a thousand devices contains a bomb, the cumulative simultaneous terrorist attack would be a catastrophe on a scale never seen before. It is not a lottery you would want to win.

After the First World War, countries adopted the Chemical Weapons Convention, banning mustard gas, which could kill long after a conflict was over. This shows that international cooperation is possible. Unfortunately, when the U.S. was the only country with unmanned armed drones, we had the chance to outlaw such armed drones internationally. But that did not happen, as building drones was just too financially lucrative for the war profiteers. Now it is too late and everyone has access to attack drones. We are all less secure as a result. Currently the shipping industry is the easiest target of these drones from rogue actors.

We have a choice: Truly outlaw the embedding of bombs in consumer and communications electronics and bring justice when they are used,  or we can call them a “brilliant” method of attack and expect to see the proliferation of these sleeper devices into all walks of life.

I advocate for justice and peace rather than advancing terrorism. But what will the moral leaders of our country do?