Armed Conflicts in Lebanon

Use of indiscriminate rockets by Hezbollah

Hezbollah consistently used unguided rockets that cannot be accurately directed at military objectives, resulting in civilian deaths and injuries in northern Israel, including agricultural workers and families. Rockets were launched in barrages toward populated areas and areas of military activity. Their effects extended beyond intended targets, with one rocket striking a peacekeeping base in southern Lebanon, causing no casualties but illustrating the indiscriminate nature of the attack. Such use of inaccurate munitions amounts to indiscriminate attacks under IHL.

Use of white phosphorus by Israel

White phosphorus produces dense smoke and ignites in air, causing deep, severe burns that can reignite, with delayed systemic effects including organ damage and potentially death. During the reporting period, Israel repeatedly used white phosphorus in Lebanon, with near-daily firing for several months until the ceasefire. Israel has acknowledged the use of such weapons in the past and has asserted its compliance with IHL, including in urban areas under special circumstances, without specifying the conditions. On several occasions white phosphorus was employed over densely populated areas, causing deaths and injuries, including among medical personnel. Besides increasing calls for the formal prohibition of using white phosphorus against combatants, under IHL the use of white phosphorus against civilians or civilian objects is unlawful and amounts to war crime. Also, when the use of white phosphorus is not directed at specific military objectives in densely populated areas, such use would constitute an indiscriminate attack.

The pager attacks

Between 17 and 18 September 2024, coordinated explosions originating from pagers and walkie-talkies targeted individuals associated with Hezbollah across Lebanon, with some detonations also occurring in Syria. Dozens were killed and thousands injured, including children and other civilians, with many victims suffering from severe eye injuries. Devices reportedly exploded in public places, causing panic among the civilian population. The operation raises serious concerns under IHL. The mere association with an armed group . Given the uncertainty about the explosives’ surroundings at the time of detonation, the foreseeable effects suggest that the attacks may have been indiscriminate. Even when directed at fighters, the expected incidental harm appears excessive and would therefore breach the principle of proportionality. While the applicability of booby-trap rules has been debated, general rules on the conduct of hostilities remain determinative.

By June 2025, more than 1.2 million people were displaced in Lebanon, mainly from and within the south. Intensified fighting prompted evacuations amid frequent airstrikes, shelling and drone attacks. Homes, schools and health facilities were destroyed, large areas became uninhabitable and agricultural livelihoods collapsed, with mass abandonment of land in southern districts. Evacuations were chaotic in some areas due to unsafe routes, and displacement strained host communities and shelters. Rocket fire also displaced tens of thousands in Israel. The scale and pattern of the phenomenon raise serious IHL concerns. Parties must prevent displacement caused by their own acts (at least those which are prohibited in and of themselves) and may order evacuations only when required for the security of the civilians or imperative military necessity.

Attacks against water infrastructure

Between October 2023 and November 2024, Israeli air-launched munitions repeatedly struck water infrastructure in Lebanon, often leaving facilities inoperable for months. Limited use of bulldozer was also reported. Most damage was reported in southern border communities along the Israeli border in Nabatieh and South governorates, with additional incidents in Bekaa and Baalbek-Hermel later in 2024. Widespread destruction and damage across reservoirs, pumping stations and treatment plants were reported in early 2025. Under customary IHL, drinking-water installations and supplies are objects indispensable to civilian survival and may not be attacked unless they qualify as military objectives. Even then, attacks must respect proportionality and cannot cause starvation of civilians. Using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare by depriving them of objects indispensable to their survival is a war crime.

Attacks against cultural property

During the reporting period, several Israeli attacks reportedly damaged cultural property in Lebanon, including ancient ruins, places of worship and historic monuments. Incidents included strikes that damaged Roman era structures, destroyed a church with fatalities and harmed an Ottoman-era mosque. Although in one attack the IDF claimed having targeted militiamen, there are indications that the building actually sheltered displaced civilians. Beyond general rules on the conduct of hostilities, cultural property benefits from specific protection under customary IHL and must not be attacked unless imperatively required by military necessity, and parties must take special care during military operations to avoid damage to historic monuments.

 Attacks on financial institutions

Israeli strikes targeted several offices of al-Qard al-Hassan, a charitable foundation and banking institution reportedly linked to Hezbollah. According to the IDF, al-Qard al-Hassan functions as part of Hezbollah’s financial system, receives Iranian funds and finances terrorism. The attacks, preceded by evacuation warnings, occurred in densely populated residential areas, damaged nearby housing units and led to the collapse of a building. Under IHL, financial institutions are ordinarily protected as civilian objects, and designating a bank as a military objective based on affiliation rather than effective contribution to military action raises serious concerns.