Israel has struck a main bridge linking Lebanon’s south to the rest of the country after ordering its military to destroy all crossings over Lebanon’s Litani River and to step up the demolition of homes near the southern border.
The destruction of bridges and homes marks a significant escalation in Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon, which was pulled into the regional war on 2 March when armed group Hezbollah fired into Israeli territory.
International law generally prohibits militaries from attacking civilian infrastructure, and the United Nations human rights chief has criticised Israel’s actions in Lebanon, particularly its use of widespread evacuation orders.
Sunday’s strike pulverised a crossing on Lebanon’s coastal highway that ran through farmland and was one of the main routes linking southern and central Lebanon.
Ramzi Kaiss, Lebanon researcher at Human Rights Watch, said that international law requires armed actors to take into account the civilian harm caused by strikes on infrastructure like bridges, even if the targets were being used for military purposes.
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