Source: Amnesty International –
- Homes and buildings destroyed by explosives and bulldozers
- More than 10,000 structures heavily damaged or destroyed, even after ceasefire declared
- “Israeli troops deliberately left a trail of devastation as they moved through the region” – Erika Guevara Rosas
The Israeli military’s extensive and deliberate destruction of civilian property and agricultural land across southern Lebanon must be investigated as war crimes, Amnesty International said in a new briefing.
Nowhere To Return: Israel’s Extensive Destruction of Southern Lebanon documents how Israeli forces used manually laid explosives and bulldozers to devastate civilian structures, including homes, mosques, cemeteries, roads, parks and soccer pitches, across 24 municipalities.
The briefing analyses the period from the start of Israel’s ground invasion into Lebanon on 1 October 2024 until 26 January 2025 and reveals that more than 10,000 structures were heavily damaged or destroyed during that time. Much of the destruction took place after 27 November 2024, after a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect.
The destruction was carried out by the Israeli military after it had secured control of the areas, meaning outside of combat action. In such a context, international humanitarian law (IHL) prohibits the destruction of civilian property unless required by imperative military necessity. Amnesty International’s investigation found that in many cases the extensive destruction of civilian structures was carried out by the Israeli military in apparent absence of imperative military necessity and in violation of IHL.
Where these acts of destruction were committed intentionally or recklessly, they must be investigated as war crimes.
Erika Guevara Rosas, Amnesty International’s Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns
“The Israeli military’s destruction of civilian homes, property and land in southern Lebanon rendered entire areas uninhabitable and ruined countless lives,” said Erika Guevara Rosas, Amnesty International’s Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns.
“The evidence we have analysed clearly shows that Israeli troops deliberately left a trail of devastation as they moved through the region. Their blatant disregard for the communities they have destroyed is abhorrent.
“Where these acts of destruction were committed intentionally or recklessly, they must be investigated as war crimes.”
Amnesty International’s Crisis Evidence Lab used a wealth of visual evidence – including 77 verified videos and photographs, and satellite imagery – to investigate the damage and quantify the buildings heavily damaged or destroyed. The evidence included videos showing Israeli soldiers manually laying explosives inside homes, ripping up roads and football pitches, and bulldozing parks and religious sites. In some videos, soldiers filmed themselves celebrating the destruction by singing and cheering.
The Crisis Evidence Lab also gathered statements shared by the Israeli military and Hezbollah on their official channels, and analysed news reports and data collected by other organizations to develop a timeline and conduct a contextual analysis. Amnesty International also interviewed 11 residents of southern Lebanon’s border villages.
The Israeli military stated that some destruction of civilian structures was intended to prevent future attacks, and that some of the structures had previously been used by Hezbollah fighters, stored weapons, or stood above tunnels. However, in Amnesty International’s view, extensive destruction of civilian property in order to prevent an opposing party from launching attacks in the future does not meet the imperative military necessity standard under IHL. The previous use of a civilian building by a party to the conflict does not automatically render it a military objective.
Amnesty International sent questions regarding the destruction to the Israeli authorities on 27 June 2025. At the time of publication, no response had been received.