HRW warns of risk to civilians from Israeli strikes on Lebanon-Syria
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Human Rights Watch warns the Israeli occupation against attacking civilian infrastructure, saying it poses a threat to civilian lives.
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People carry their luggage as they cross into Syria on foot, through a crater caused by Israeli airstrikes aiming to block the Beirut-Damascus highway at the Masnaa crossing, in the eastern Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, Saturday, October 5, 2024. (AP)
Human Rights Watch (HRW) raised alarms on Monday about Israeli airstrikes near the Lebanon-Syria border, warning that they were placing civilians at "grave risk" by preventing them from fleeing, as well as hindering humanitarian efforts.
On Friday, Israeli warplanes targeted the road connecting the Masnaa and Jdeidet Yabous border crossings with two missiles, as reported by Al Mayadeen's correspondent.
This resulted in the suspension of traffic in both directions between Syria and Lebanon.
These strikes have disrupted civilian movement and essential humanitarian operations, according to HRW.
Syrian Transport Ministry official Sleiman Khalil informed AFP on Monday that while the road remains "completely cut off to vehicle traffic," individuals can still cross on foot.
However, HRW criticized the situation, stating that these strikes are "impeding civilians trying to flee and disrupting humanitarian operations." The organization emphasized that the circumstances "place civilians at grave risk."
The Israeli occupation forces claim the target was a Hezbollah military site, and HRW said that even if the target of the Israeli strikes was a “legitimate military one”, "an Israeli attack on a legitimate military target may still be unlawful if it can be expected to cause immediate civilian harm disproportionate to the anticipated military gain."
Unjustifiable attack
Meanwhile, the head of the United Nations refugee agency, Filippo Grandi, acknowledged on Monday that while the flow of people across the border had slowed, "still hundreds of people are coming through, and they're also coming through other border points."
Grandi, speaking during a visit to the Syrian side of the crossing known as Jdeidet Yabous, said that Red Crescent volunteers were assisting by "helping people transport their goods across the border" as the road remains blocked.
The Lebanese authorities reported that since September 23, more than 370,000 people had crossed from Lebanon into Syria, the majority of them Syrian nationals. Palestinians, Sudanese, and individuals from other nationalities were also among those fleeing the Israeli aggression.
Lebanon, which hosts the highest ratio of refugees per capita in the world, was already home to over 774,000 registered Syrian refugees before the latest escalation of aggression. The government estimates the actual number to be closer to two million.
"By making a border crossing inaccessible at a time when hundreds of thousands of people are fleeing fighting and many others are in need of aid, the Israeli military threatens considerable civilian harm," HRW's Lama Fakih emphasized.
Fakih reiterated that even if the crossing was being used for military purposes, "Israel would need to take into account the expected civilian harm compared to the anticipated military gain."
