The ‘Israel’-Lebanon framework agreement signed in Washington on June 26, 2026, threatens to betray war crimes victims in Lebanon, Amnesty International and five human rights and press freedom organizations said today. Parts of the text appear to be aimed at preventing victims of serious international crimes from seeking justice before international forums. Others seem to acquiesce to the prolonged and indefinite forced displacement of tens of thousands of residents of vast swathes of southern Lebanon occupied by Israeli forces.
“The agreement comes following months of hostilities resulting in immense civilian harm, including as a result of war crimes, violations of international humanitarian law, and gross human rights abuses. Yet, Clause 13 of the agreement commits the governments of Israel and Lebanon to the cessation of “all hostile or adverse actions in international political or legal fora.”
“To the extent that this agreement is interpreted to prevent Lebanon and ‘Israel’ from having recourse to international courts, including the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, it would contradict the countries’ international legal obligations to pursue accountability for serious international crimes committed on their territories. The agreement does not appear to commit Israel to halt any initiatives in international forums against Hezbollah.”
“Clause 3 further violates international law and the prohibition of forced displacement, conditioning the return of residents to specified zones along the border, currently occupied by Israel, to the ‘successful disarmament of non-state armed groups and dismantlement of their infrastructure’. Under international humanitarian law, people must be allowed to return once hostilities have ended or the reasons for their displacement cease to exist.”
“Time and time again, we have seen civilians in Lebanon pay the price for successive cycles of conflict and serious violations and crimes under international law with no accountability,” said Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International. “Victims of war crimes and other violations deserve justice. Any agreement that fails to center their rights to justice, accountability and reparations will falter underneath the very impunity it builds. The past few years have made it abundantly clear – rampant impunity comes at a cost to us all. States that claim to uphold the international legal order must speak out: justice, reparation and respect for international law in Lebanon and beyond are non-negotiable.”
“Since 2023, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Legal Agenda, the Lebanese Center for Human Rights (CLDH), the Union of Journalists in Lebanon and other rights groups have documented the Israeli military’s repeated violations of the laws of war and apparent war crimes in Lebanon. They include apparent direct attacks on civilian objects and civilians, indiscriminate attacks and other unlawful attacks that have killed medical personnel, journalists, and entire families; and the unlawful use of white phosphorus, which causes horrific burns, over residential areas.”
Amnesty International found in a recent report that the Israeli military has forcibly displaced tens of thousands of Lebanese civilians, committing the war crime of unlawful transfer, while continuing the extensive destruction of civilian property and infrastructure it began in 2024 across southern Lebanon. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have also documented Hezbollah’s firing of unguided rockets at northern Israel, which have unlawfully killed and injured civilians.
Source: Al-Manar English Website