Rights Watch accuses Israel of committing war crimes for destroying reconstruction equipment news

Human Rights Watch said that during 2025, the Israeli army carried out repeated attacks on reconstruction-related equipment and civilian facilities in southern Lebanon, which it saw as a violation of the laws of war and apparent war crimes.

A report by the organization explained that these attacks hindered reconstruction efforts and the ability of tens of thousands of displaced people to return to their homes, noting that more than 10,000 buildings were severely damaged or destroyed in the region between October 2023 and January 2025.

The organization stated that it investigated 4 attacks on sites related to reconstruction between August and October 2025, including 3 strikes on 6 exhibition and maintenance yards for bulldozers, excavators, and heavy equipment in Deir Saryan, Al-Masileh, and Ansariyah, and a strike on a cement and asphalt factory in Sanayeh.

It reported that the attacks – which occurred months after the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah – resulted in the killing of 3 civilians, the injury of at least 11 others, and the destruction of more than 360 machines and cement and asphalt factories.

The organization said that it did not find evidence of the presence of military targets in or around the targeted sites, and that some of the equipment was actually being used for civilian purposes, such as removing rubble, while it was unable to verify the use of the rest of the equipment, but it did not observe evidence of its use for military purposes.

The report indicated that website owners and workers said that they do not ask their customers about their political affiliations, and that they sell or rent equipment to any party that requests it, including municipalities and international organizations. He added that the possibility of using the equipment in the future for military purposes is unclear or indirect, and does not make it legitimate military targets.

The organization said that it addressed the Israeli army on December 3 regarding the results of its investigation and asked questions, and the army responded to one question, before stopping its response.

The report noted that the IDF announced after some strikes that the equipment was “being used or allocated” by Hezbollah to rebuild its “infrastructure,” but did not provide details. It was also reported that the strikes damaged private vehicles and nearby homes, and injured women and children.

The organization stated that it documented the presence of remnants of American-made JDAM guided munitions at some attack sites.

The organization also quoted the United Nations Human Rights Office as saying that Israeli strikes after the ceasefire in November 2024 killed at least 127 civilians in Lebanon, left more than 64,000 people displaced, and destroyed civilian infrastructure, while a spokesman for the office reported that the construction of an Israeli wall inside Lebanese territory affected the residents’ right to return to their lands.

The report also stated that Lebanese research bodies and institutions documented dozens of Israeli strikes within a year, all of which targeted civilian facilities.