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- HRW Describes Israeli Attack on Habariye as Illegal
Human Rights Watch (HRW) condemned the Israeli attack on an emergency and rescue center in the southern Lebanese town of Habariye on March 27 as “illegal.”
The organization has urged the United States to “immediately suspend its arms sales and military aid to Israel.”
HRW asserts that whether the attack was carried out “intentionally or recklessly,” it should “be investigated as an apparent war crime.”
The strike resulted in the deaths of seven rescue workers. HRW reports that it was executed using “an American-made Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kit and an Israeli-made 500-pound (approx. 230 kg) multi-purpose bomb.” The NGO states it verified this information through photographs of weapon remains found at the site.
HRW also indicates that it found “no evidence of a military target on the site” and highlights that Tel Aviv had submitted a document to the US State Department a week prior to the raid, affirming that the weapons supplied by the US were not being used in violation of international law.
In light of these findings, HRW has called on the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to “promptly issue a declaration authorizing the International Criminal Court to investigate and prosecute crimes within its jurisdiction committed on Lebanese territory since October 2023.”
According to international humanitarian law, all parties to a conflict are obligated to distinguish between combatants and civilians and to target only combatants. In cases of doubt, individuals must be considered as civilians.
The organization has urged the United States to “immediately suspend its arms sales and military aid to Israel.”
HRW asserts that whether the attack was carried out “intentionally or recklessly,” it should “be investigated as an apparent war crime.”
The strike resulted in the deaths of seven rescue workers. HRW reports that it was executed using “an American-made Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kit and an Israeli-made 500-pound (approx. 230 kg) multi-purpose bomb.” The NGO states it verified this information through photographs of weapon remains found at the site.
HRW also indicates that it found “no evidence of a military target on the site” and highlights that Tel Aviv had submitted a document to the US State Department a week prior to the raid, affirming that the weapons supplied by the US were not being used in violation of international law.
In light of these findings, HRW has called on the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to “promptly issue a declaration authorizing the International Criminal Court to investigate and prosecute crimes within its jurisdiction committed on Lebanese territory since October 2023.”
According to international humanitarian law, all parties to a conflict are obligated to distinguish between combatants and civilians and to target only combatants. In cases of doubt, individuals must be considered as civilians.
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