Amnesty International has accused Israel of committing war crimes through its extensive destruction of civilian property in southern Lebanon, urging a thorough investigation.
The human rights group documented over 10,000 civilian structures, including homes, mosques, and parks, demolished by Israeli forces using explosives and bulldozers across 24 municipalities.
This devastation, much of which occurred after a November 2024 ceasefire, has left entire communities uninhabitable, displacing residents and obliterating livelihoods.
Despite a ceasefire agreement on November 27, 2024, between Israel and Hezbollah, Israeli forces continued demolishing civilian infrastructure into January 2025.
Amnesty’s analysis, spanning October 2024 to January 2025, revealed that towns like Yarin, Dhayra, and Kfar Kila suffered severe damage, with over 70% of structures in some areas destroyed.
Videos showed Israeli soldiers celebrating as they razed homes and public spaces, including a soccer field in Kfar Kila marked with a Star of David.
Adiba Finsh, a 66-year-old resident of Dhayra, described watching footage of soldiers cheering as her home was blown up, stating:
Israel blew it up. All of it. And they filmed the explosion. Even the houses …they made a video of themselves counting from five to one, and when the explosion happened, they shouted: ‘Wow! Yay!’. I watch this video every day. And each time, I tell the man ‘yaying’: ‘Yes, what an accomplishment’.
Amnesty’s investigation found that Israel’s actions lacked military necessity, violating international humanitarian law.
The deliberate destruction of civilian property, including mosques, cemeteries, and agricultural land, continued even after Israeli forces secured control of areas, negating claims of targeting Hezbollah infrastructure.
Hajj Muhammad Srour, mayor of Aita Ash-Shaab, lamented:
The destruction today is indescribable and unparalleled…You feel that there is no purpose for it other than creating great damage, like someone trying to wreak havoc… We lost all civilian property, [which] consists of homes, agricultural land, people’s livelihoods, shops, restaurants… The public squares, the places where people would meet in front of shops in every neighbourhood, the football playground for the kids and youth… They’re all gone.
Israel’s failure to respond to Amnesty’s inquiries about the destruction further fuels accusations of intentional devastation.
The scale of destruction has prompted demands for accountability.
Amnesty urges Lebanon’s government to pursue legal avenues, including reparations for affected communities, and calls for states to halt arms transfers to Israel due to risks of further violations.
The World Bank estimated the war’s economic toll on Lebanon at $14 billion, with $6.8 billion in structural damage.
Residents like Zeinab from Kfar Kila, who found “rubble, destruction, and rocks” where her home once stood, face an uncertain future.
Amnesty insists that Israel must provide full reparations to victims of these alleged war crimes.