Amnesty International has issued a strong condemnation of Hezbollah’s use of unguided rockets in attacks on civilian areas in Israel, describing them as violations of international law. The report, released on Friday, follows an extensive investigation into the rocket attacks occurring in recent months. According to the organization’s findings, these incidents resulted in significant civilian casualties and increased tensions in the region.
Hezbollah’s actions, which have resulted in the deaths of eight civilians and injuries to at least 16 others by October, intensified after the group’s conflict with Israel escalated in late September 2024. For instance, on October 29, Hezbollah fired a series of rockets into northern Israel, tragically striking a home in Tarshiha, killing Mohammed Naim, a 23-year-old Palestinian citizen of Israel, and injuring thirteen others. Initially, Hezbollah claimed a different target before revising their statement to indicate they were targeting military personnel in Ma’alot-Tarshiha.
Further violence was recorded on October 31, 2024, when an 18-rocket salvo targeted various Israeli towns. In Metula, one strike killed five individuals—a local Israeli and four Thai migrant workers. Another attack in Kiryat Ata claimed the lives of Mina Shafiq Hassoun and her son, both Palestinian citizens of Israel.
The intensity of these attacks reached a zenith on November 24, when Hezbollah launched up to 250 unguided rockets from Lebanon, causing substantial devastation. This widespread assault affected cities such as Haifa, Tiberias, Acre, Safed, Karmiel, Kfar Giladi, and others, and revealed the difficulty in distinguishing between military objectives and civilian areas inherent to using unguided rocket systems.
The report highlights Hezbollah’s use of various unguided rocket systems, including 122mm, 220mm, 240mm, and 302mm, as problematic due to their lack of precision. Under Article 51(4) of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, such indiscriminate attacks are prohibited, underscoring the necessity for a clear demarcation between military and civilian targets.
This escalation signifies the most significant uptick in hostilities since the 2006 Lebanon War. In response, Israel has accused Hezbollah of violating UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1701, which mandated a cessation of attacks on Israeli territory.
However, Amnesty International’s report does not solely focus on Hezbollah. It also documents alleged war crimes by Israeli forces, citing over 1,600 airstrikes conducted across Lebanon that resulted in more than 500 civilian deaths. The intricacies of this ongoing conflict continue to challenge international legal standards and demand urgent attention from the global community.
For further details, readers can access the full report from Amnesty International and related articles through the JURIST publication.