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| Amnesty International accuses Israel of “war crimes”
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Israeli soldiers taking position near the Israeli-Lebanese border
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LONDON (EJP)--- UK-based human rights group Amnesty International has accused Israel of perpetrating “war crimes” during its bombing of civilian infrastructure in Lebanon and has demanded an international investigation.
A report released by the organisation on August 23 accused Israel of “indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks” resulting in the displacement of a quarter of Lebanon’s civilian population.
It also alleged that the Israeli attacks on homes, bridges, roads and water and fuel plants were an “integral part” part of the IDF’s military strategy in Lebanon, rather than “collateral damage‚ resulting from the lawful targeting of military objectives”.
Kate Gilmore, executive deputy secretary general of Amnesty International, said: “The pattern, scope and scale of the attacks makes Israel’s claim that this was ‘collateral damage’, simply not credible.”
The 20-page report also cited “massive destruction by Israeli forces of whole civilian neighbourhoods, villages and bridges in areas of no apparent strategic importance” which the non-governmental organisation claims the targeting of infrastructure crucial to civilian survival is a breach of humanitarian law.
“Many of the violations identified in our report are war crimes, including indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks,” Gilmore added.
Amnesty based its accusations on an examination of Israeli attacks in Lebanon and comments made by Israeli officials during the conflict, such as those made by Lt Gen Dan Halutz, Israel’s Chief of Staff who said that “nothing is safe [in Lebanon], as simple as that.”
The report did note that Hezbollah’s use of civilians to shield their activities constituted a war crime but said: “Under international law such use does not release the opposing party from its obligations towards the protection of the civilian population”.
Israeli response
Responding to the Amnesty report, Mark Regev, the Israeli foreign ministry spokesman, defended his country’s actions.
He said: “Israel’s actions during the war were in accordance with recognised norms of behaviour during conflicts and with relevant international law. Unlike Hezbollah, we did not deliberately target the Lebanese civilian population.”
He added: “Lebanese infrastructure was targeted only when that infrastructure was being exploited by the Hezbollah machine and this is in accordance with the rules of war.”
A spokesman at the Israeli Embassy in London criticised the Amnesty report.
He said: “From initial reading of the report, it is felt that it fails to address the root causes of the recent crisis. The report shows little or no consideration of several key issues, notably the terrorist nature of Hezbollah and their taking control of Lebanon, creating a state within a state.”
“Israel suffered an unprovoked attack on its sovereign territory by the terrorist organisation Hezbollah and we urge the international community, including the Lebanese government, to implement fully the UN resolution 1701 and therefore spare the region further turmoil.”
Hezbollah role
The Israeli Foreign Ministry also questioned why the report failed to discuss Hezbollah’s role in the conflict.
Amnesty said it would look into Hizbollah attacks on Israel separately. Claudio Cordone, senior director for research at Amnesty, said those subjects would be addressed in future reports.
Cordone said: “There is less controversy about the abuses committed by Hezbollah, whereas there hasn’t been sufficient attention to this kind of attack,” referring to the alleged Israeli strategy of targeting civilian areas.
“For those who, like Israel, have argued they’ve done everything according to the rules of war, they should have nothing to fear from a proper, impartial investigation, which is what we’re seeking,” he added.
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