Amnesty International accuses Israel of "war crimes" in Lebanon
{{date|August 23, 2006}}
{{2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict}}
[[Image:SLebanon-gasStation.jpg|thumb||left|The targeting of petrol stations in Lebanon was cited as one of the charges against Israel]]
The human rights organisation [[Amnesty International]] has accused [[Israel]] of committing war crimes by deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure in [[Lebanon]] during the [[2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict|Israel-Lebanon conflict]], calling the attacks "indiscriminate and disproportionate". Israel has rejected the charge.

"The pattern, scope and scale of the attacks makes Israel's claim that this was 'collateral damage', simply not credible," said [[w:Kate Gilmore|Kate Gilmore]], of Amnesty International.

Amnesty International cites the magnitude of the destruction caused by Israeli air strikes and artillery bombings, and declarations such as the one made by Israeli Chief of Staff [[w:Dan Halutz|Lt Gen Dan Halutz]], that "nothing is safe [in Lebanon], as simple as that", as evidence that civilians were deliberately targeted.

Israel rejected the accusation, stating that the bombings of civilian areas was justified because [[Hezbollah]] uses civilians as "humans shields" : Lebanese infrastructure was "targeted only when that infrastructure was being exploited by the Hezbollah machine, and this is in accordance with the rules of war", said the Israeli spokesman [[w:Mark Regev|Mark Regev]]. "Unlike Hezbollah, we did not deliberately target the Lebanese civilian population", Mr. Regev said. 

Over 1,000 Lebanese, mostly civilians were killed during the fighting, while 161 Israelis, mostly soldiers, were killed by Hezbollah. The Israeli attacks also wounded about 4,000 people, and turned nearly 1 million people, a quarter of the population of Lebanon, into internal refugees. 

== Sources ==

*{{source-pr|url=http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE020182006
|title=Israel/Lebanon: Evidence indicates deliberate destruction of civilian infrastructure
|pub=Amnesty International
|date=August 23, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5276626.stm 
|title=Israel accused over 'war crimes'
|author=
|pub=BBC News Online
|date=August 23, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,209890,00.html 
|title=Amnesty International Accuses Israel of War Crimes
|author=
|pub=Fox News
|date=Augsut 23, 2006}}

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[[Category:War crimes]]
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:Israel]]
[[Category:Lebanon]]
[[Category:Middle East]]
[[Category:Amnesty International]]
[[Category:Human rights]]
[[Category:Crime and law]]

[[es:Amnistía Internacional acusa a Israel de cometer crímenes de guerra]]
[[it:Amnesty International accusa Israele di "crimini di guerra" in Libano]]
[[pl:Amnesty International oskarża Izrael o zbrodnie wojenne]]
[[pt:Anistia Internacional acusa Israel de ter praticado crimes de guerra no Líbano]]
The targeting of petrol stations in Lebanon was cited as one of the charges against Israel
The human rights organisation Amnesty International has accused Israel of committing war crimes by deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure in Lebanon during the Israel-Lebanon conflict, calling the attacks "indiscriminate and disproportionate". Israel has rejected the charge.

"The pattern, scope and scale of the attacks makes Israel's claim that this was 'collateral damage', simply not credible," said Kate Gilmore, of Amnesty International.

Amnesty International cites the magnitude of the destruction caused by Israeli air strikes and artillery bombings, and declarations such as the one made by Israeli Chief of Staff Lt Gen Dan Halutz, that "nothing is safe in Lebanon, as simple as that", as evidence that civilians were deliberately targeted.

Israel rejected the accusation, stating that the bombings of civilian areas was justified because Hezbollah uses civilians as "humans shields" : Lebanese infrastructure was "targeted only when that infrastructure was being exploited by the Hezbollah machine, and this is in accordance with the rules of war", said the Israeli spokesman Mark Regev. "Unlike Hezbollah, we did not deliberately target the Lebanese civilian population", Mr. Regev said. 

Over 1,000 Lebanese, mostly civilians were killed during the fighting, while 161 Israelis, mostly soldiers, were killed by Hezbollah. The Israeli attacks also wounded about 4,000 people, and turned nearly 1 million people, a quarter of the population of Lebanon, into internal refugees. 

*

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es:Amnistía Internacional acusa a Israel de cometer crímenes de guerra
it:Amnesty International accusa Israele di "crimini di guerra" in Libano
pl:Amnesty International oskarża Izrael o zbrodnie wojenne
Anistia Internacional acusa Israel de ter praticado crimes de guerra no Líbano
War crimes Politics and conflicts Israel Lebanon Middle East Amnesty International Human rights Crime and law