Human Rights Watch: Israeli Strike on Lebanon's Emergency Center Killed Seven Civilians, Possibly Using US-Made Weapons
Human Rights Watch accused Israel of an unlawful attack on civilians after an Israeli strike in Lebanon killed seven first responders at an emergency and relief center in the village of Habariyeh on March 27, 2024.
The incident occurred during near-daily exchanges between the Israeli army and Hezbollah following Hamas' attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked a war in Gaza.
HRW urged the United States to suspend weapons sales to Israel in response to this attack on civilians.
The human rights organization, Human Rights Watch (HRW), called for an investigation into an Israeli military strike in Lebanon as a potential war crime, as there was no evidence of a military target at the site.
The Israeli military initially claimed the strike targeted a "military compound" and killed a "significant terrorist operative" from Jamaa Islamiya, a Lebanese group linked to Hamas.
However, HRW found that the target was a residential structure housing the Emergency and Relief Corps of the Lebanese Succour Association, a non-governmental humanitarian organization.
Jamaa Islamiya later denied any connection to the emergency responders, and the association confirmed no affiliation with any Lebanese political organization.
The Israeli military did not comment on HRW's findings when contacted by AFP. Human Rights Watch (HRW) criticized an Israeli military strike in Habariyeh, Lebanon, stating that the admission of targeting the center indicated a failure to verify military targets and avoid civilian casualties, making the strike unlawful.
HRW reported that those killed were civilians, including 18-year-old twin brothers, and were not affiliated with any armed group according to family members, the Lebanese Succour Association, and the civil defense.
However, HRW noted that social media content suggested at least two of the dead may have been supporters of Jamaa Islamiya.
Images from the site showed remains of an Israeli bomb and a guidance kit produced by the US-based Boeing Company.
HRW's Lebanon researcher, Ramzi Kaiss, stated that Israeli forces used a US-made weapon to kill seven civilian relief workers in Lebanon.
HRW is calling on the US to suspend arms sales and military assistance to Israel due to evidence that Israeli military is using American weapons unlawfully.
HRW urged the United States to suspend weapons sales to Israel in response to this attack on civilians.
The human rights organization, Human Rights Watch (HRW), called for an investigation into an Israeli military strike in Lebanon as a potential war crime, as there was no evidence of a military target at the site.
The Israeli military initially claimed the strike targeted a "military compound" and killed a "significant terrorist operative" from Jamaa Islamiya, a Lebanese group linked to Hamas.
However, HRW found that the target was a residential structure housing the Emergency and Relief Corps of the Lebanese Succour Association, a non-governmental humanitarian organization.
Jamaa Islamiya later denied any connection to the emergency responders, and the association confirmed no affiliation with any Lebanese political organization.
The Israeli military did not comment on HRW's findings when contacted by AFP. Human Rights Watch (HRW) criticized an Israeli military strike in Habariyeh, Lebanon, stating that the admission of targeting the center indicated a failure to verify military targets and avoid civilian casualties, making the strike unlawful.
HRW reported that those killed were civilians, including 18-year-old twin brothers, and were not affiliated with any armed group according to family members, the Lebanese Succour Association, and the civil defense.
However, HRW noted that social media content suggested at least two of the dead may have been supporters of Jamaa Islamiya.
Images from the site showed remains of an Israeli bomb and a guidance kit produced by the US-based Boeing Company.
HRW's Lebanon researcher, Ramzi Kaiss, stated that Israeli forces used a US-made weapon to kill seven civilian relief workers in Lebanon.
HRW is calling on the US to suspend arms sales and military assistance to Israel due to evidence that Israeli military is using American weapons unlawfully.
Translation:
Translated by AI
