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January 8, 2007
Defense Minister Amir Peretz
Defense Ministry
37 Kaplan St.
Tel Aviv 61909
Israel
VIA FACSIMILE: + 972-3-697-6218
Dear Defense Minister Peretz,
I am writing to request detailed information from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) about its targeting and weapons selection, vetting review procedures, precautions taken by the IDF to prevent civilian casualties during strikes on pre-selected or emerging targets, and any post-strike battle damage assessment (BDA) procedures carried out by the IDF during the recent conflict with Hezbollah.
Human Rights Watch is an independent and impartial international human rights organization. Our specialized personnel—including military, arms, and BDA experts—have long-standing expertise in evaluating the conduct of military campaigns, including air wars. Human Rights Watch researchers carried out extensive studies of the air campaigns in Yugoslavia (published as Civilian Deaths in the Nato Air Campaign) and Iraq (published as Off Target: The Conduct of the War and Civilian Casualties), among others. Our analysis has served as an independent and impartial review of the conduct of air campaigns, and has led to important advances to protect the civilian population, such as the decision by the U.S.-led coalition forces not to target electrical generation facilities during the 2003 war in Iraq.
Human Rights Watch is carrying out an analysis of the July-August 2006 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. To supplement the reports already issued, we plan to complete a comprehensive report on the conflict in early 2007.
The information we seek from the IDF will be a very important element in our analysis of Israel’s conduct. While Human Rights Watch can investigate civilian casualties or destruction of civilian infrastructure and the presence of military targets at the site of civilian casualties or infrastructure on the ground in Lebanon, only IDF officials can explain exactly what military target they were attempting to hit during a particular strike, and any precautions taken to prevent civilian casualties during that strike.
Reproduced below is a list of 97 incidents involving civilian casualties and civilian infrastructure that we have investigated in Lebanon. The information listed below, based on our field investigation of the sites and witness testimonies, includes the date and time of the strike, the method of attack, the village where the attack took place, and the death toll. Because place names often vary, our researchers also took the GPS coordinates of individual strikes, which should allow the IDF to coordinate this information with its strike logs and establish the specific military target attacked.
For each of the 97 incidents listed below, we would like to request the following information from the IDF:
- The specific military objective of the attack (Hezbollah personnel, weapon storage site, rocket launching position etc.), and the target selection and review process.
- Any specific precautions taken to ensure that the object of the attack was a military object and to avoid collateral and/or disproportionate civilian casualties.
- The method of attack and weapon chosen to limit collateral damage and/or disproportionate civilian casualties.
- Any specific post-strike battle damage assessment undertaken to review the results of the particular strike, and the results of that BDA.
Human Rights Watch will reflect any relevant portion of the IDF’s response in our upcoming report, as we have done with responses from military officials in prior reports assessing wartime conduct around the world.
Our experience at Human Rights Watch has taught us that usually, the most productive way to review the conduct of a war and to obtain future improvement in that conduct is through direct dialogue with military officials. Our extensive dialogue with US, UK, and NATO officials helped improve our understanding of the Iraq and Kosovo conflicts. Human Rights Watch hopes to establish a similar dialogue with IDF operational officials, and we are prepared to discuss our findings with, and obtain information from, the relevant Israeli operational or military officials in meetings in Israel, if that is most convenient to you..
As Human Rights Watch hopes to publish its findings in early 2007, a timely reply by January 20, 2007 to this request is appreciated.
Human Rights Watch realizes that it will require a significant commitment from the IDF to review its files for the information we have requested, but we feel that the effort will be a crucial contribution to a realistic understanding of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict.
Sincerely
Ken Roth
Executive Director
INCIDENTS INVESTIGATED BY HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH WHERE IDF/IAF INFORMATION IS REQUESTED:
A. IAF AIRSTRIKES
1. July 13 03:50hrs air strike on home in Baflay, killing 10 members of the Zein family
Lat N 33 15’ 25.42”
Lon E 35 22’ 01.65”
2. July 13 03:50hrs air strike on home in Srifa, killing 4 members of the Merhi family
Lat N 33 16’ 33.41”
Lon E 35 24’ 04.66”
3. July 13 04:00hrs air strike on home in Dweir, killing 13 members of the al-Akash
family (head of household Sheikh Adil al-Akash was a Shi’a cleric)
Lat N 33 22’ 39.40”
Lon E 35 24’ 52.41”
4. July 13 04:05hrs air strike on home in Shour, killing 6 members of the Khashab family
Lat N 33 17’ 48.21”
Lon E 35 22’ 35.46”
5. July 13 04:05hrs air strike on home in Bar`achit, killing 2 members of the Farhat family
Lat N 33 10’ 37.56”
Lon E 35 26’ 29.27”
6. July 13 08:20hrs air strike on home in Zebqine, killing 12 members of Bzeih family
Lat N 33 09’ 53.92”
Lon E 35 16’ 02.05”
7. July 13 15:00hrs air strike on home in Yatar, killing 3 members of Suidan family
Lat N 33 09’ 16.73”
Lon E 35 19’ 54.69”
8. July 15 08:55hrs air strike on home in Bint Jbeil, killing 2 members of Mrouj family, followed by 13:55hrs drone strike killing 2 rescue workers
Lat N 33 07’ 04.30”
Lon E 35 26’ 20.95”
9. July 16 09:07hrs air strikes on factories in Borj ech Chemali area next to Tyre (Plastimed and Plastic Medical Component Factories).
No GPS coordinates available.
10. July 16 12:00hrs air strike on soap factory in Borj ech Chemali, killing 5 members of Zayyat family in adjacent home
Lat N 33 15’ 51.68”
Lon E 35 14’ 14.60”
11. July 16 12:30hrs air strike on home in Tyre (behind Jabal `Amel hospital), killing 8 members of `Alawiya family
Lat N 33 16’ 66.8”
Lon E 35 13’ 14.2”
12. July 16 17:00hrs air strike on home in Yatar killing three young men
Lat N 33 09’ 04.51”
Lon E 35 19’ 44.54”
13. July 16 17:00-18:00hrs air strike on the civil defense building in Tyre, killing ten persons
No GPS coordinates available
14. July 16 17:55hrs air strike on home in Aitaroun, killing 12 members of al-Akhrass family (including Canadian-Lebanese nationals)
Lat N 33 06’ 57.20”
Lon E 35 28’ 24.57”
15. July 16 21:30hrs multiple air strikes on factories in Ta`nayel village (in the Beka`) destroying warehouses and factories.
No GPS coordinates available.
16. July 16 21:45hrs multiple air strikes on factory in Kfar Jarra village.
No GPS coordinates available.
17. July 16 22:00hrs air strike on parked, uncovered trucks between Shmeiss and Sheem. A second air strike ten minutes later killed 3 persons
Lat N 33 38’ 30.33”
Lon E 35 28’ 40.72”
18. July 16 unknown time air strike on home in Majdel Selem, killing 1 person
No GPS coordinates available
19. July 17 unknown time air strike on Rmeileh bridge, killing 12 persons in two cars near the bridge.
Lat N 33 35’ 50.93”
Lon E 35 23’ 18.78”
20. July 17 02:25hrs multiple air strikes on factories and storage facilities in Shuweifat area in Mount Lebanon.
No GPS coordinates available.
21. July 17 03:00hrs air strikes on factory in Ta`nayel village, Bekaa.
No GPS coordinates available.
22. July 17 09:00hrs air strike on el-Ghaziyeh bridge, killing 1 person
No GPS coordinates available
23. July 18 00:45hrs air strike on home in Aitaroun, killing 9 members of Awada family
Lat N 33 07’ 06.79”
Lon E 35 28’ 13.38”
24. July 18 09:00hrs air strike on home in Taloussa, killing 3 members of Turmus family
Lat N 33 13’ 58.07”
Lon E 35 29’ 08.56”
25. July 18 16:00hrs air strike on home in Yatar, killing disabled man from Slim family
No GPS coordinates available
26. July 18 (time unknown) air strikes on Lebanese Army base in Jamhour (in Mount Lebanon, east of Beirut), killing 11 Lebanese army soldiers.
No GPS coordinates available
27. July 19 02:00hrs simultaneous air strike on 2 separate homes in Silaa village, killing 8 members of Ayyoub family
Lat N 33 15’ 18.72”
Lon E 35 22’ 48.67”
28. July 19 03:30hrs air strikes on the “Moscow” neighborhood of Srifa, followed by drone strikes, killing 22 persons
Lat N 33 16’ 56.63”
Lon E 35 23’ 55.40”
29. July 19 07:10hrs air strike on home in Nabi Sheet, killing 7 members of the Shukr family
Lat N 33 52’ 29.59”
Lon E 36 06’ 56.11”
30. July 19 12:37hrs air strikes on factory in Ta`nayel village in Bekaa.
No GPS coordinates available.
31. July 19 13:00hrs air strike on home in Ainata, killing 4 members of Darwish family
Lat N 33 07’ 40.90”
Lon E 35 26’ 43.60”
32. July 21 05:35hrs air strike on home in Nabi Sheet, killing 1 member of Shukr family whose son was an official in the Lebanese Ba’ath party
Lat N 33 52’ 26.74”
Lon E 36 06’ 50.25”
33. July 21 14:00hrs air strike on home in Ait ech Chaab, killing 3 members of Rida family
No GPS coordinates available
34. July 21 (time unknown) air strike on home in Zebqine, killing 3 members of Bzeih family, including head of Zebqine municipality, Ahmed Bzeih
No GPS coordinates available
35. July 23 05:00hrs air strikes on large factory in Ta`nayel village, Bekaa.
No GPS coordinates available
36. July 23 11:00hrs air strike on empty home in Shehin village, causing 2 deaths from Ghaith family in neighboring home
Lat N 33 07’ 33.06”
Lon E 35 15’ 19.82”
37. July 23 16:15hrs air strike on home in Yaroun, killing 5 members of Farhat family
Lat N 33 04’ 52.63”
Lon E 35 25’ 23.62”
38. July 23 (time unknown) air strike on factory in town of al-Manara (sometimes referred to as al-Hamara) in Southern Bekaa, near Hasbaya.
No GPS coordinates available.
39. July 24 05:45hrs air strikes on several adjoining homes in center of al-Hallousiye, resulting in the deaths of 11 persons, most from Hamid and Mounis families
Lat N 33 18’ 21.27”
Lon E 35 19’ 42.09”
40. July 24 17:00hrs air strike on home in Haris, resulting in death of four persons
Lat N 33 10’ 42.73”
Lon E 35 22’ 35.63”
41. July 24 17:00hrs air strike (simultaneous with previous strike) in Haris, resulting in deaths of 8 members of Jawad family
Lat N 33 10’ 46.02”
Lon E 35 22’ 40.63”
42. July 24 (time unknown) air strike on home in center of Ainata, killing 17 persons
Lat N 33 07’ 43.69”
Lon E 35 26’ 25.11”
43. July 24 (time unknown) air strike on home in Safad al-Batikh, killing one person
No GPS coordinates available
44. July 25 19:30hrs precision-guided missile strike on UNOGL post in Khiam, resulting in the death of 4 UNTSO observers
No GPS coordinates available
45. July 26 15:00hrs air strike on home in Yatar, killing 1 person
No GPS coordinates available
46. July 26 16:00hrs air strike on home in Kafra, killing 2 persons
No GPS coordinates available
47. July 27 15:30hrs air strike on home next to abandoned women’s husseiniya in Hadatha, killing 6 elderly persons
Lat N 33 09’ 56.83”
Lon E 35 23’ 21.48”
48. July 29 14:30hrs air strike on home in el-Numeiriya village, killing 6 persons of Harake and Mehdi families.
Lat N 33 24’ 39.04”
Lon E 35 25’ 08.85”
49. July 30 01:00hrs air strike (2 missiles) on home in Qana, killing 27 persons from Hashem and Shalhoub families
Lat N 33 12’ 56.58”
Lon E 35 17’ 55.76”
50. August 1 16:50hrs air strike on home in al-Luweizeh, killing 3 members of the Hashem family. The air strike was immediately preceded by IAF-dropped leaflets warning the villagers to evacuate the lower part of the village (where the strike took place)
Lat N 33 27’ 36.81”
Lon E 35 32’ 10.60”
51. August 4 13:58hrs air strike on warehouse in fruit orchard in al-Qaa, killing 25 Syrian Kurdish farm workers
Lat N 34 23’ 20.08”
Lon E 36 30’ 04.16”
52. August 5 18:00hrs air strike on home in Taibeh, killing 3 members of the Marmar family
No GPS coordinates available
53. August 7 00:30hrs air strike on home in Insar, killing 5 members of Assi family
Lat N 33 22’ 42.45”
Lon E 35 21’ 12.93”
54. August 7 02:25hrs air strike on home in El-Ghassaniyeh, killing 7 persons
Lat N 33 24’ 56.37”
Lon E 35 21’ 24.94”
55. August 7 07:55hrs air strike on el-Ghaziyeh home, resulting in 5 deaths
No GPS coordinates available
56. August 7 08:15hrs air strike in el-Ghaziyeh town square, hitting adjoining shops and killing 3 persons
No GPS coordinates available
57. August 7 08:20hrs air strike on home in el-Ghaziyeh (almost simultaneous and close by previously listed strike), killing 8 members of the Badran family
Lat N 33 31’ 03.70”
Lon E 35 22’ 09.39”
58. August 7 10:00hrs air strikes on a series of homes in Houla, killing 1 person
Lat N 33 12’ 30.30”
Lon E 35 30’ 51.65”
59. August 7 19:30hrs air strike at butcher shop and supermarket in center of Brital (Bekaa Valley) killing 9 persons
No GPS coordinates available
60. August 7 20:00hrs air strike on apartment building in Shiah neighborhood of Beirut, resulting in the death of 39 persons
No GPS coordinates available
61. August 8 15:00hrs air strike on el-Ghaziyeh graveyard, resulting in the death of 1 infant aged 2
No GPS coordinates available
62. August 8 15:00hrs air strike on el-Ghaziyeh home of Mahmood Ahmed Khalife, resulting in death of 7 family members
No GPS coordinates available
63. August 8 16:00hrs air strike on home, resulting in death of 2 members of Khalife family
Lat N 33 30’ 51.52”
Lon E 35 21’ 53.81”
64. August 10 02:00hrs air strike on Masghara home (Bekaa Valley) killing 7 members of Sadr family
Lat N 33 31’ 47.97”
Lon E 35 39’ 12.94”
65. August 10 (time unknown) air strike on home in Rabb et Talatine resulting in death of 4 women
Lat N 33 15’ 04.23”
Lon E 35 31’ 10.73”
66. August 11 04:40hrs air strike on bridge in al-Haysaa (northern Lebanon, near Syrian border), repeat air strike 10 minutes later killed 11 persons
Lat N 34 35’ 48.03”
Lon E 36 03’ 45.74”
67. August 11 08:00hrs air strike on home in el-Tireh, killing 1 member of the Sheaito family.
68. August 13 03:50hrs air strike on home in Borj ech Chemali, killing 5 members of Zein family.
Lat N 33 15’ 45.02”
Lon E 35 14’ 29.38”
69. August 13 14:35hrs air strikes on the Imam Hassan building complex in Rweiss suburb of Beirut, killing 40 persons
No GPS coordinates available
70. August 13 15:45hrs air strikes on factory in village of Joun, 9km above Saida in the Shouf area
No GPS coordinates available
71. August 13 23:15hrs air strike on home in Brital (Bekaa Valley), killing 6 persons
Lat N 33 57’ 27.65”
Lon E 36 07’ 28.35”
72. August 14 02:00hrs air strike on home in Kfar Dounine, killing 1 person
Lat N 33 13’ 55.6”
Lon E 35 24’ 48.7”
B. IDF Drone Strikes
1. July 19 03:00hrs drone strike on vehicle parked in Ham, killing 2 persons
Lat N 33 52’ 18.82”
Lon E 36 12’ 08.22”
2. July 19 03:00hrs drone strike on two vehicles on mountain road between Syrian border and village of Maaraboun, killing 3 persons
Lat N 33 50’ 50.42”
Lon E 36 12’ 30.62”
3. July 19 08:30hrs drone strikes near Bazouriye on 3 car convoy fleeing Aitaroun, killing 6 persons
No GPS coordinates available
4. July 23 10:30hrs drone strike on white van outside Kafra village, killing 3 persons
Lat N 33 10’ 15.93”
Lon E 35 18’ 59.74”
5. July 23 10:30hrs drone or helicopter strike on civilian vehicle fleeing Mansouri outside Maaliye, killing 2 persons including a German-Lebanese dual national
No GPS coordinates available
6. July 23 23:15hrs drone strikes on two parked, clearly marked ambulances in center of Qana, resulting in 6 wounded, no fatalities
Lat N 33 12’ 24.38”
Lon E 35 18’ 04.61”
7. July 24 morning (precise time unknown) drone or helicopter strike on motorcycle on Kafra-Siddiquine road, resulting in 1 death
No GPS coordinates available
8. July 24 (time unknown) drone strike on man fleeing Safed el-Batikh, resulting in 1 death
No GPS coordinates available
9. August 14 06:05hrs drone strike on passenger van driving around destroyed road in Jamaliyeh (Bekaa Valley), resulting in the deaths of 7 persons, mostly Lebanese Internal Security Forces and Army troops reporting for duty
Lat N 34 03’ 05.63”
Lon E 36 11’ 26.54”
C. IDF Helicopter Strikes
1. July 15 11:00hrs Navy ship strike followed by Helicopter attack on two-car convoy on Chamaa-Bidaya road, killing 21 persons fleeing from Marwaheen. The two cars appear to have been spotted by an offshore Israeli Navy ship which fired at them.
Lat N 33 09’ 29.80”
Lon E 35 11’ 34.84”
2. July 15 20:30hrs Apache helicopter strike on home in Houla, killing 2 members of the Slim family.
Lat N 33 12’ 40.42”
Lon E 35 31’ 05.94”
3. July 19 19:00hrs Helicoper strike on home in Debbine Marja’youn, killing 3 persons
Lat N 33 21’ 73.0”
Lon E 35 36’ 33.2”
4. July 20 06:00hrs Helicopter strike on home in Ait ech Chaab, killing one elderly male
No GPS coordinates available
5. August 1 21:30hrs Helicopter missile attack on group of men outside a home in Jamaliyeh, killing 7 members of Jamaluddin family (relatives of the Mukhtar of the town, supporters of Lebanese communist party). The Helicopter strikes took place while IDF commandos were carrying out an operation at the nearby Hezbollah-controlled hospital.
Lat N 34 02’ 58.89”
Lon E 36 11’ 17.16”
6. August 1 23:30hrs Helicopter missile strike on Syrian Kurdish family outside tent in Jamaliyeh, killing family of 6. The Helicopter strikes took place while IDF commandos were carrying out an operation at the nearby Hezbollah-controlled hospital.
No GPS coordinates available
7. August 3 11:00hrs Helicopter strike on home in al-Jibain, killing 3 members of Akil family. At the same time, Helicopter strikes targeted a position outside the village of al-Jibain, 900 meters away from the home, killing 4 young men.
Location of home:
Lat N 33 07’ 27.28”
Lon E 35 14’ 06.91”
D. IDF Navy Strikes
1. July 15 11:00hrs Navy ship strike followed by Helicopter attack on two-car convoy on Chamaa-Bidaya road, killing 21 persons fleeing from Marwaheen. The two cars appear to have been spotted by an offshore Israeli Navy ship which fired at them.
Lat N 33 09’ 29.80”
Lon E 35 11’ 34.84”
E. IDF Artillery Strikes
1. July 19 01:00hrs artillery strike on Rmeich, killing two displaced children from Ait ech Chaab
Lat N 33 04’ 39.87”
Lon E 35 22’ 11.87”
2. July 19 15:00hrs cluster munitions strike on the village of Blida, killing 1 elderly woman and wounding family of 12
No GPS coordinates available
3. July 21 19:00hrs artillery strike into center of Aitaroun, killing two elderly women
Lat N 33 06’ 53.24”
Lon E 35 28’ 13.65”
4. July 29 11:00hrs artillery strike on home in Arzun, killing one elderly man
No GPS coordinates available
F. IDF shooting deaths by ground troops
1. July 27 09:00hrs Shooting death of Lebanese civilian woman by IDF soldiers occupying civilian home in Ainata. The woman had entered her basement to retrieve foodstuffs, not knowing IDF soldiers were inside the second floor of the building, and was walking away from the building when shot
Lat N 33 07’ 22.25”
Lon E 35 27’ 04.07”
2. August 6 11:00hrs shooting of 4 elderly members of Nasrallah family by IDF soldiers occupying their home in Taibeh village. The family members had returned home to cook bread, unaware of the presence of IDF soldiers inside their home, and were shot at close range by IDF soldiers as they approached the home
Lat N 33 16’ 17.78”
Lon E 35 31’ 13.94”
3. August 7 02:00hrs shooting of 1 elderly woman while IDF commando raided house in Shehin
Lat N 33 07’ 35.34”
Lon E 35 15’ 13.62”
4. August 12 (time unknown) shooting of 1 elderly man in home in Hadatha by IDF soldiers in neighboring house
No GPS coordinates available
September 2007
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