Israel's Withdrawal from Southern Lebanon

B'Tselem welcomes Israel's withdrawal from the occupied zone of southern Lebanon. This comes after many years of occupation which resulted in severe human rights violations against Lebanese civilians

B'Tselem expresses its concern regarding severe statements by Ministers and Members of Knesset warning of an Israeli response "harsher than we've seen before" in the case of attacks against Israel after the withdrawal. In light of these statements, B'Tselem reminds the Israeli government of the following principles of international humanitarian law:

• Israel has a right to defend itself; however, this right is not unlimited;

• The civilian population and civilian infrastructure are not legitimate targets under any circumstances;

• Attacks on Israeli civilians are a human rights violation; however, they do not justify attacks on Lebanese civilians.

These rules apply equally to Lebanon, Syria and to the militias fighting against Israel.

In addition, the Lebanese government is responsible for the safety of South Lebanese Army (SLA) personnel who have surrendered or been arrested, whether they are being held by the Lebanese Army or by one of the militias. Lebanon must ensure that they tried in accordance with due process and that they are protected from abuse, torture or the death penalty.