Amnesty Calls for Investigation of Israeli Destruction in South Lebanon as Potential War Crime

Amnesty Calls for Investigation of Israeli Destruction in South Lebanon as Potential War Crime
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Amnesty International has condemned Israel’s widespread destruction of civilian property in southern Lebanon, calling for investigations into potential war crimes, Arab News reported. The human rights organization said the damage, much of it occurring after a November 27 ceasefire with Hezbollah, rendered entire areas uninhabitable and destroyed thousands of lives.

The truce marked the end of over a year of hostilities that escalated into two months of open warfare, during which Israel deployed ground troops and conducted major bombing campaigns. Under the agreement, Hezbollah was to withdraw fighters from the border region, while the Lebanese army assumed security duties. Israel was expected to fully pull back its forces but reportedly remains in strategic border areas.

Amnesty’s analysis, covering October 1 to late January, found that over 10,000 structures were heavily damaged or destroyed, including homes, mosques, cemeteries, roads, parks, and soccer fields across 24 municipalities. The organization documented the destruction using verified satellite imagery, photographs, and video footage, some showing Israeli soldiers celebrating the damage.

The report emphasized that prior use of civilian buildings by combatants does not automatically make them military objectives and highlighted that much of the demolition appeared unnecessary from a military standpoint, in violation of international humanitarian law.

The economic toll of the conflict has been severe. In March, the World Bank estimated the war inflicted $14 billion in total damages, including $6.8 billion to physical structures. Lebanon’s financially strained authorities have yet to begin reconstruction and are seeking international support, particularly from Gulf nations, to aid recovery.