Lebanon/Israel: Stop Unlawful Attacks and Protect Civilians Now

Sep 24, 2024 | Advocacy, News

The ICJ strongly condemns the Israeli Defence Forces’ (IDF) ongoing strikes on southern Lebanon and Beirut, which, as of yesterday, had already killed nearly 500 people, including at least 35 children. The attacks had also wounded more than 1,600, and prompted the displacement of tens of thousands of people, forcing them to flee the violence. The extremely high number of civilian casualties, in the space of just a few hours, points to the indiscriminate and disproportionate nature of the IDF’s attacks in violation of international humanitarian law.

“Lebanese civilians do not lose their protection under international law just because they live in the same cities or buildings as Hezbollah members or fighters,” said Saïd Benarbia, ICJ MENA director. “The disproportionate and indiscriminate attacks against Lebanese civilians and civilian objects are war crimes and must be investigated as such, with a view to ensuring accountability.”

While earlier in the day, the IDF had issued “warnings” to the population to evacuate their residences and stay away from any buildings purportedly storing Hezbollah weapons, its “warnings” did not comply with international law, which requires that any such warnings be effective, including by providing civilians with an actual chance to seek shelter elsewhere. In any event, under international humanitarian law, the principle of distinction continues to apply, even when civilians remain in the zone of operations after a warning has been issued.

The IDF stated that it had hit more than 1,300 Hezbollah targets, and that it had carried out a “limited” airstrike in the southern suburb of Dahieh, near Beirut, reportedly targeting Ali Karaki, a high-ranking Hezbollah military commander. The stated goal of Israel’s ongoing military operation is to allow the return to northern Israel of those who had been displaced by Hezbollah’s recent attacks. Armed hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah were reignited in the aftermath of 7 October 2023 and the war in Gaza and have been ongoing over the past 11 months.

Launching an indiscriminate attack resulting in loss of civilian life or injury to civilians and launching an attack in the knowledge that it will cause excessive incidental civilian loss, injury or damage to civilian objects constitute war crimes under international humanitarian law.

Yesterday’s attacks were preceded on Friday by an Israeli strike on a Beirut suburb that killed a top Hezbollah military commander and more than a dozen fighters, along with 29 civilians, including several children.

The ICJ condemns IDF’s practices intentionally causing the unlawful killing of very high numbers of civilians for each military target. Such practices constitute war crimes under international law, either as direct attacks against civilians and civilian objects, in violation of the principle of distinction, or as indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks. These practices must immediately end.

The ICJ also condemns last week’s simultaneous and widespread explosion of walkie-talkies and pagers intended to eliminate Hezbollah members, which killed 42 people, including children. The attacks had also severely wounded more than 3,000 people, spreading terror among the population. The modus operandi of this attack is indiscriminate and disproportionate per se, leaving no possibility for “feasible precautions” and showing complete and utter disregard for civilians, who would inevitably be harmed. Such attacks amount to war crimes and gross violations of international human rights law.

The ICJ calls for the de-escalation of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel and for the protection of the civilian population to avoid gross violations of human rights and another humanitarian catastrophe in the region.

Contact:

Saïd Benarbia, Director, ICJ Middle East and North Africa Programme, t: +41-22-979-3817; e: said.benarbia(a)icj.org

Nour Al-Hajj, Regional Communications & Advocacy Officer, ICJ Middle East and North Africa Programme, e: nour.alhajj(a)icj.org

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