AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: OUT OF ALL PROPORTION

Israel/Lebanon: Urgent need for UN inquiry
Out of all proportion - civilians bear the brunt of the war

"A full, impartial UN-led inquiry that includes provision for reparations to the victims is urgently needed. Anything less would not only be a gross betrayal of the civilian victims, more than one thousand of whom were killed, but also a recipe for further civilian bloodshed with impunity,"
--Malcolm Smart, Director of Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa programme


Amnesty International has published its latest and concluding report into violations of international humanitarian law committed during this year's Israel-Hizbullah conflict. The report focuses on Israeli attacks in which civilians were killed as well as the impact on civilians of other attacks by Israeli forces. It also examines allegations that Hizbullah used civilians as "human shields".

"More than three months have now gone by since the ceasefire and to Amnesty International's knowledge neither side has even begun investigations into the grave violations committed during last summer's conflict," according to Malcolm Smart.



Based on field research conducted in Lebanon and Israel in July, August and September 2006, the report includes evidence from interviews with victims; meetings with Israeli and Lebanese military and government officials, as well as senior Hizbullah officials; information from non-governmental groups; and official statements and media reports.

Amnesty International is calling on the United Nations to set up an international commission empowered to investigate the evidence of violations of international law by both Hizbullah and Israel, and to make provision for reparations for the victims. The organization is also calling for an arms embargo on both sides, and an immediate moratorium on cluster weapons.

For further information, please see:
Press Release:
Israel/Lebanon: Further evidence of grave violations in Israel-Hizbullah conflict underlines urgent need for UN inquiry (Hebrew / Arabic)

Reports:
Israel/Lebanon, Out of all proportion – civilians bear the brunt of the war (21 November 2006)
Under fire - Hizbullah's attacks on northern Israel (14 September 2006)
Deliberate destruction or 'collateral damage'? Israeli attacks against civilian infrastructure (23 August 2006)


Amnesty International

© AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

Visit the links:

http://web.amnesty.org/pages/isr-leb-211106-feature-eng
http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engmde020332006
http://news.amnesty.org/index/ENGMDE020352006

Press release in Arabic: http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ARAMDE020352006 and in Hebrew: http://news.amnesty.org/404/404.html
Please note that the full version of the report will be available on our website in Arabic and Hebrew shortly.


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East Mediterranean Team
Amnesty International, International Secretariat
Peter Benenson House, 1 Easton Street
London WC1X 0DW
United Kingdom
E-mail: Eastmed@amnesty.org
Tel: +44 (0)20 7413 5500
Fax: +44 (0)20 7413 5719