Construction Companies May Be Aiding and Abetting Israel’s War Crimes in Lebanon |
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Six multinational construction companies may be aiding and abetting war crimes in south Lebanon by supplying Israel with excavators and bulldozers, according to human rights experts and analysis undertaken by The Guardian.
Photos and videos from April show the Israeli military using excavators made by Caterpillar, Volvo, Hyundai, Doosan, Hitachi and Komatsu to destroy homes, shops, solar panels, water infrastructure, and other buildings across south Lebanon. The Guardian verified the imagery, which shows excavators from the six companies demolishing homes in various towns in south Lebanon.
Human Rights Watch has said that Israel’s destruction of villages could amount to wanton destruction, a war crime – in addition to other likely war crimes carried out by Israel in Lebanon like forcible displacement and attacks deliberately targeting civilians.
The Guardian noted that human rights experts have said that foreign companies should stop supplying Israel with construction equipment until confident that it will not be used in war crimes.
“Businesses carrying out activities that contribute to serious international law violations in Lebanon, such as the extensive destruction of civilian property, may expose themselves, or their individual directors and managers, to the risk of prosecution for complicity in war crimes,” said Mark Dummett, deputy program director and head of business, security and human rights at Amnesty International.
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