Shafaq News – Beirut

Amnesty International said Tuesday that Israel’s military carried out widespread and deliberate destruction of civilian property in southern Lebanon, including after a ceasefire with Hezbollah, and urged investigations into possible war crimes.

In a new briefing titled Nowhere to Return, Amnesty documented the demolition of more than 10,000 structures between October 1, 2024, and late January 2025, across 24 municipalities along Lebanon’s southern border. The group said much of the destruction occurred after a truce took effect on November 27.

According to Amnesty, Israeli forces used bulldozers and manually laid explosives to devastate homes, mosques, cemeteries, roads, parks and farmland, often in areas already under Israeli control and “in apparent absence of imperative military necessity.” Verified satellite imagery, videos, and photographs were used in the analysis, with some footage showing soldiers celebrating as buildings were demolished.

“The Israeli military’s destruction of civilian homes, property and land in southern Lebanon rendered entire areas uninhabitable and ruined countless lives,” said Erika Guevara Rosas, Amnesty’s senior director for research and advocacy.

Israel has said its operations targeted Hezbollah infrastructure and fighters, but Amnesty noted that previous use of civilian buildings by armed groups “does not automatically render them military objectives” under international law.

The World Bank has estimated the economic cost of the conflict at $14B, including $6.8B in damage to physical structures.

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