A plume of smoke rises near the Israeli town of Metoula following a strike apparently coming from Lebanon on Nov. 11, 2023. (Credit: Hassan Fneich/AFP)
Human Rights Watch accused Hezbollah of endangering Israeli civilians in strikes on Israeli territory in the 14-month war between the two, during which violent Israeli strikes killed over 4,000 Lebanese and razed entire residential areas. The HRW published the article Friday on its website, relying mainly on Israeli data.
"Hezbollah did not take the necessary precautions to protect civilians between September and November 2024 (...). It used explosive weapons in populated areas of northern Israel and did not effectively warn civilians of attacks," wrote the NGO.
"An international investigation into the compliance with the laws of war by Israel and Hezbollah is a necessary step to ensure that those responsible for possible crimes are held accountable," said Adam Coogle, deputy director of Human Rights Watch for the Middle East. The NGO argues that Hezbollah did not sufficiently warn civilians of its attacks, while it mostly uses unguided munitions.
Insufficient approach
Although the NGO notes that the party did issue a warning to 22 towns in northern Israel, it considers this approach insufficient. "Warnings that do not give civilians enough time to move to a safer area are not considered 'effective' under international law. General warnings unrelated to an imminent attack cannot be considered 'effective' and may instead inappropriately instill fear," the NGO stated.
The same criticism could be directed at the Israeli army. While it issued numerous warnings before strikes in civilian areas, it often did not allow residents enough time to evacuate the premises. Moreover, it repeatedly carried out strikes without any prior warning, including the two massive bombings in the heart of the southern suburbs of Beirut intended to assassinate the former secretary-general of Hezbollah and his designated successor on Sept. 27 and Oct. 3.
The NGO based its findings on testimonies from Metoula residents, an area near the Israeli border, and data released by Israel on Oct. 6, reporting 12,400 projectiles fired toward Israel from Lebanon between Oct. 7, 2023, and Oct. 2, 2024, killing at least 30 civilians. It revisited the strike on Majdal Shams, a town in the annexed Golan Heights, which killed 12 children, baselessly attributed to Hezbollah by Israel but firmly denied by the party.
HRW also highlights that between "late September and November 2024, salvos of Hezbollah attacks killed at least 15 civilians and injured many others," citing its own data "compiled from media reports."
"Some of the areas where civilians were killed were not the subject of the evacuation warning issued by Hezbollah on Oct. 26."
The article published by the NGO also mentions the previously formulated criticisms by Human Rights Watch on the massive Israeli bombings that devastated southern Lebanon, the Bekaa, and the southern suburbs of Beirut. The Israeli army has conducted several strikes in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa despite the cease-fire took effect on Nov. 27. It notes that these recent attacks have killed at least 59 people, according to available information. In terms of destruction, Israel estimates the cost at $2.5 billion on just buildings and civil infrastructure primarily in the country's north, according to recent official estimates. In Lebanon, this cost has reached $6.8 billion, according to an assessment published Friday by the World Bank.