Attacks and Displacement Continue in Lebanon: NGOs Call for a Genuine and Lasting Ceasefire

Country: Lebanon Source: Lebanon Humanitarian INGO Forum Please refer to the attached file. A ceasefire in name only On 16 May, the temporary ceasefire declared between Lebanon and Israel on 17 April was renewed for a second time, following negotiations brokered by the United States. Yet hostilities are ongoing, albeit somewhat reduced in intensity and geographic scope, and Lebanon continues to face a severe humanitarian emergency. The ceasefire agreement did not provide for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory, and included language permitting Israel to ‘take all necessary measures in selfdefence, at any time, against planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks’. Since its declaration, Israeli attacks have continued on a daily basis - targeting the south, the Bekaa valley, and, on one occasion, the southern suburbs of Beirut -raising serious concerns for the protection of civilians. Over 600 people have been killed in Lebanon since the ceasefire was declared, many of them women, children and emergency responders. Numerous incidents raise serious questions regarding compliance with International Humanitarian Law, including the principles of distinction and proportionality. Entire families have been hit in airstrikes, with men and women being killed alongside their children and grandchildren. Health and rescue workers have been killed when they arrive at attack scenes, continuing the trend of ‘double tap’ strikes (even triple or quadruple in some cases) seen since the start of the escalation. The psychological impact of the ongoing hostilities cannot be underestimated. The fear and panic stirred by repeated attacks and displacement orders are heightened by periodic sonic booms and the near-constant sound of overhead drones throughout the country’s airspace. Meanwhile a ge...

Original source: Relief Web