ALWAGHT- Amnesty calls for investigation into Israel’s alleged war crimes in southern Lebanon following ceasefire violations and widespread damage to civilian property.
Amnesty International has called for an investigation into Israel’s widespread destruction of civilian property in southern Lebanon, describing the acts as potential war crimes. The rights group highlighted that much of the damage occurred even after the November 27 ceasefire, which ended over a year of hostilities along the Lebanon-Palestine border. Amnesty emphasized that deliberate or reckless attacks on homes, mosques, cemeteries, roads, and neighborhoods must be scrutinized under international law.
The organization documented that over 10,000 structures were heavily damaged or destroyed between October and January, often using explosives and bulldozers, with soldiers reportedly celebrating the devastation. Amnesty stressed that much of this destruction lacked any military necessity, leaving large areas uninhabitable and devastating civilian life. While Hezbollah adhered to the ceasefire, Israeli forces continued to occupy strategic border points and conduct near-daily strikes in southern Lebanon, the Bekaa region, and Beirut’s southern suburb.
Amnesty urged Israel to provide full reparations to victims of these violations and called on the Lebanese government to pursue legal remedies, including domestic reparation mechanisms. The group also recommended that all states suspend arms transfers and military support to Israel, citing the high risk that such weapons could facilitate further breaches of international humanitarian law.
