Source: Amnesty International –
Three Israeli air strikes in southern Lebanon in March 2026 that killed 24 civilians – 12 of them children – wiping out families, must be investigated as war crimes, Amnesty International said today.
The organization investigated three Israeli attacks that destroyed civilian homes in al-Thakana neighbourhood in Tyre district, Irkay village in Saida district, and al-Rahbat neighbourhood in Nabatieh district on 6, 12, and 13 March, respectively. Those killed included 12 children, ranging in ages from five to 16, six women – including a pregnant woman – and six men. At least 18 others were also injured.
Based on the evidence gathered, in each of these air strikes, Amnesty International has reasonable basis to conclude that Israeli forces violated international humanitarian law, including by failing to distinguish between civilians and military objectives, by carrying out attacks directed against civilians or civilian objects, or by failing to take all feasible precautions to minimize harm to civilians.
“Within the space of just a week – the Israeli military obliterated entire families, including a dozen children, in Lebanon, demonstrating a callous disregard for civilian lives. How many more families will have to pull the body parts of their children from the rubble before this devastating cycle of war crimes ends? The international community must act now: states must impose an immediate comprehensive arms embargo on Israel and use universal and extraterritorial jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute those responsible,” said Kristine Beckerle, Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International.
“There are mounting fears that the latest, US-brokered Israel-Lebanon agreement could become yet another barrier to justice, denying victims a path to accountability. The harrowing testimonies shared by survivors and witnesses of these attacks offer a chilling glimpse of what complete impunity for unlawful Israeli attacks means in practice.
“The Lebanese authorities must act decisively by granting the International Criminal Court jurisdiction over crimes on their territory and by supporting international justice efforts and initiating credible, independent domestic investigations into crimes under international law. Without coordinated action—domestically and internationally—the cycle of war crimes and impunity will continue with no end in sight.”
Between 2 March, when the conflict escalated, and 29 June, 4,257 people were killed in Lebanon, including more than 250 children according to the Lebanese government. At least two civilians were killed in Israel and at least 39 soldiers in southern Lebanon, according to Israeli media reports.
Amnesty International interviewed 15 people, including survivors, relatives, paramedics, journalists who visited attack sites, and local officials for this investigation. Amnesty International’s Crisis Evidence Lab analysed satellite imagery and verified 20 photos and 11 videos shared directly by sources or published on social media. Researchers also reviewed Israeli and Lebanese social media to understand the context in which each strike happened and to look for evidence of any possible connections with Hezbollah among the victims.
Amnesty International wrote to the Israeli authorities on 12 June requesting information on nine attacks in Lebanon, including these three attacks, seeking clarification about the military objectives targeted and the measures taken to avoid, minimize, investigate or repair civilian harm. In their response on 22 June, Israeli authorities stated that they had “reviewed the allegations submitted,” that some “were carried out against Hezbollah military objectives,” while others were “referred for examination”. They stated that they are “committed to mitigating harm to civilians during operational activity” and that Hezbollah “systematically exploits civilian infrastructure for military purposes”. Despite follow up, the Israeli military did not provide specific information regarding the three attacks documented below, including what the targets may have been.
International humanitarian law requires parties to distinguish at all times between military objectives and civilians or civilian objects, and to direct their attacks only at military objectives. In addition to prohibiting direct attacks on civilians or civilian objects, international humanitarian law prohibits indiscriminate attacks that fail to distinguish between military objectives and civilians or civilian objects. Parties to a conflict must also ensure to spare civilians and civilian objects, including by taking all feasible precautions to minimize incidental harm to civilians and damage to civilian objects. This includes doing everything feasible to verify that targets are military objectives, and to halt attacks if it becomes apparent that they are wrongly directed or disproportionate.