“Euro-Med”: “Israeli” Escalation in Lebanon Enforces Forced Displacement, Imposes New Geographical Facts

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor warned on Monday of the serious repercussions of the “Israeli” wide-ranging military escalation in Lebanon, accompanied by the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians and systematic destruction of villages, towns, and civilian structures.

In a press statement received by the Yemeni News Agency (Saba), the monitor said this raises serious concerns about an attempt to impose new geographical and security facts by force, constituting a grave violation of the rules of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, requiring urgent international action to halt the attacks and hold those responsible accountable.

It added: “The Euro-Mediterranean Monitor follows with great concern the serious field developments in Lebanon, as the Israeli army expands its ground operations north of the Litani River, intensifies air and artillery strikes on the cities of Tyre, Nabatieh, Sidon, and dozens of villages and towns in southern Lebanon. Over the past few days, this has resulted in more deaths and injuries, and forced additional numbers of civilians to flee northward in harsh humanitarian conditions.”

It affirmed that the ongoing “Israeli” attacks on Lebanon since March 2 of last year have caused the martyrdom of about 3,380 people and injured more than 10,150 others according to official data, while the number of displaced persons has exceeded one million, with a large wave of displacement observed on Monday morning from the southern suburbs of Beirut following “Israel’s” announcement of its intention to resume airstrikes on the area.

It explained that the expansion of ground operations was accompanied by direct orders issued on Monday by the head of the Israeli entity, the war criminal wanted by the International Criminal Court, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his defense minister, Israel Katz, to resume airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut under the pretext of responding to ceasefire violations.

The monitor noted that targeting an area characterized by high civilian population density, which had previously suffered widespread destruction, falls within a recurring pattern of excessive and indiscriminate use of force, constituting an additional violation of the principles of distinction and proportionality, which prohibit targeting civilians and civilian objects, as well as launching attacks expected to cause excessive civilian loss or damage compared to the direct and concrete military advantage anticipated.

It clarified that, given the nature of the strategy adopted by the Israeli entity’s government, the military expansion into Lebanese territory does not appear to be limited to achieving temporary tactical gains, but rather falls within a systematic path that may aim to establish long-term military presence and control, and impose new field facts, including the creation of buffer zones at the expense of Lebanese state sovereignty and territorial integrity.

It stressed that the security considerations announced by “Israeli” authorities cannot be considered a legal justification for occupying another state’s territory or imposing effective military control, as the rules of international law, including the UN Charter and principles of international humanitarian law, prohibit the use of force that affects state sovereignty and territorial integrity outside the narrow legally prescribed circumstances.

It pointed out that the Israeli enemy forces, in parallel with expanding their ground operations, issued new and comprehensive forced evacuation orders whose geographical scope extended north of the Litani River, forcing hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee their homes and villages without providing safe humanitarian corridors or guarantees of equipped shelter centers meeting their basic needs.

It explained that “Israel” uses evacuation orders, under intense bombardment and the absence of safe corridors and equipped shelters, as a tool to force civilian populations to leave, not as a precautionary measure to protect them from military operations.

The monitor stated that issuing evacuation orders in this manner raises serious evidence that “Israel” is committing acts that may amount to forced displacement prohibited under international humanitarian law, and may rise to a war crime or crime against humanity if carried out as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against a civilian population.

It noted that ground incursions and forced displacement orders are accompanied by a systematic and widespread campaign of destruction targeting Lebanese border villages and towns, as “Israeli” forces, using explosives and land leveling, raze residential neighborhoods, infrastructure, and vital facilities to the ground, effectively altering the geographical features of the area and rendering it uninhabitable, reflecting a punitive character aimed at depriving civilians of their inherent right to return to their areas and restore their means of life, livelihoods, and social stability.

It considered that “Israel’s” persistence in committing these grave violations and its attempt to impose field facts by force of arms are closely linked to the chronic state of dysfunction afflicting the international justice system, particularly the UN Security Council, due to political paralysis and the use of veto power, limiting the international system’s ability to take effective and binding enforcement measures.

It pointed out that repeated international reliance on issuing statements of concern and condemnation, without taking practical deterrent actions or activating accountability tools, contributes to entrenching an environment of systematic impunity and undermines the effectiveness of the international legal system in protecting civilians and preventing the recurrence of grave violations.

The Euro-Mediterranean Monitor called on the international community to exert all available forms of diplomatic, political, and legal pressure on “Israel” to halt its military operations in Lebanese territory, withdraw completely and unconditionally from all sites it has controlled, and ensure its strict compliance with its obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law.

It stressed the need for an immediate halt to all forms of widespread or systematic destruction of civilian objects and infrastructure, adherence to the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precautionary measures in the conduct of military operations, as well as ensuring effective protection of civilians.

It urged the United Nations and the international community to move beyond the cycle of verbal condemnations and take practical and effective measures to stop the ongoing military aggression, including activating available tools of political, diplomatic, and economic pressure under international law, and adopting restrictive measures targeting “Israeli” officials involved in issuing forced displacement orders and targeting civilian objects and essential infrastructure, consistent with the rules of international responsibility and relevant accountability mechanisms.

The monitor called for imposing a comprehensive ban on the transfer or export of arms and ammunition to “Israel” in cases where there is a risk they might be used to commit grave violations of international humanitarian law, in line with states’ obligations to prevent contributing to internationally unlawful acts.

It urged urgent action to enhance humanitarian response and provide adequate funding for emergency relief plans, ensuring the basic needs of the displaced are secured and their survival essentials protected, given the severe deterioration of humanitarian conditions in Lebanon.

The monitor also called on the international community to activate the principle of universal jurisdiction to ensure that perpetrators of grave violations in Lebanon do not escape punishment.

It called on the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and independent UN mechanisms to immediately begin monitoring and documenting international crimes committed, including forced displacement, indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks, unjustified destruction of property, and imposing long-term military facts, and to determine individual and criminal responsibilities, so as to establish an effective path to justice that serves the victims and puts an end to the structural collapse of the international accountability system in the face of serious Israeli violations.