– This is terrifying, absolutely terrible, and unfortunately not surprising. That’s what Gerald Folkvord, political adviser on international law at Amnesty International Norway, tells news. A series of videos are said to show Israeli forces destroying what appear to be civilian homes, farms and religious buildings in several villages in southern Lebanon. Folkvord now fears that part of Israel’s goal may be to empty the area of people. Israel also demolishes buildings and destroys agricultural areas to remove the livelihood of the civilian population in Gaza, according to Folkvord. There, Israeli attacks have created an almost uninhabitable buffer zone against the country’s western border, according to Amnesty. Major destruction The videos, which are spread on social media, have been verified by news and international fact-checkers, including The New York Times. Satellite images from Planet also show damage to civil infrastructure in Lebanon. Several buildings that are supposed to be residential buildings in Maroun al-Ras and Yaroun have been razed to the ground. It comes after Israeli forces advanced through the villages in recent days. Satellite images show destruction in Yaroun between 28 August and 5 October. Planet/AFP news has asked the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) about the content of these videos. In a statement, the IDF writes that the destruction in the villages must have been done to remove Hezbollah as a threat in southern Lebanon. The IDF claims that they found weapons inside several of the buildings in Yaroun and Maroun al-Ras, also in civilian homes. – We have recently carried out targeted raids based on intelligence, to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure that has been built to enable attacks on Israeli cities in northern Israel. Smoke rises from Maroun al-Ras after Israeli airstrikes at the end of September. Photo: Jim Urquhart / Reuters Several mosques, a church and at least one health clinic in the area are said to have been destroyed by Israeli forces, according to the mayor of Yaroun, Ali Qassem Tafeh. In one video, Israeli forces can be seen apparently carrying out a controlled explosion of what is supposed to be a 300-year-old mosque in Yaroun. – The mosque in question was attacked based on credible and precise intelligence, after receiving information about Hezbollah activity, says the IDF. Other videos show Israeli forces raising the Israeli flag over a destroyed park in Maroun al-Ras. news has asked the IDF why their forces raised the Israeli flag on another country’s territory, they have not answered that. Can be legitimate targets Several experts are critical of Israel’s prominence towards what is supposed to be civilian infrastructure. – I struggle to see how they legitimize the destruction of, for example, parks, says Camilla Guldahl Cooper. She is a professor at the Norwegian Armed Forces Staff College and an expert on the international law of war. – Either what they destroy must be legal targets, which can be civilian houses in certain cases, or the destruction must be imperative militarily for other reasons, for example the destruction of a road to remove mines that one has good reason to believe are placed there, she continues. – It is claimed that Israel will establish a buffer zone in southern Lebanon. Is that a legitimate reason to destroy civilian infrastructure? – It is not illegal to create a buffer zone if there is a need for it, but it must be carried out in a legal way, says Cooper. – Here, the size and location of the buffer zone must be assessed, and the extent of the destruction. – The destruction must be absolutely militarily necessary, says Camille Guldahl Cooper at the Staff College. Photo: Forsvaret.no – Only military targets can be attacked, emphasizes Marthe Sleire Engedahl. She is a research fellow at the Faculty of Law at the University of Bergen. – In the context in question here, a house that is normally used by civilians could constitute a legal target if, for example, it is used as a base for Hezbollah’s military actions. Israel must nevertheless assess whether an attack is absolutely necessary and proportionate. – It is forbidden to cause damage, suffering or destruction that is not necessary to achieve legitimate military objectives. In addition, it is forbidden to inflict civilian damage that is too extensive in relation to the expected concrete and direct military advantage, says Sleire Engedahl. Red circles show buildings in the village of Maroun al-Ras that have been destroyed in the past week. The fields in the white square have also been recently destroyed. Israeli forces visible in the image in orange circles. Photo: Planet / AFP – Taking little notice Israel issued evacuation orders to the residents before they moved into the area. The villages were therefore abandoned before the attacks started, according to mayor Ali Qassem Tafeh. Gerald Folkvord at Amnesty nevertheless reacts strongly to the images he sees. – We have seen that Israeli forces pay little attention to civilians when they advance, for example in Gaza, but also now in Lebanon, he says. – Israeli forces pay little attention to civilians when they advance, says Gerald Folkvord in Amnesty International Norway. Photo: Frida Marie Grande He emphasizes that armed groups in Lebanon also carry out attacks against Israel. This has meant that thousands of people in the north of Israel have been forced to flee. – War crimes are committed in both directions, says Folkvord. He also points to recent statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. There, the prime minister warned that Lebanon could face the same fate as Gaza. – It is on the verge of inciting war crimes, says Folkvord. Published 11.10.2024, at 22.44
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Videos will show Israel destroying civilian infrastructure in Lebanon – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
