Urgent call to address human rights violations in Lebanon and the justification of civilian attacks through dehumanising rhetoric

October 30, 2024

MENA Rights Group joins local civil society organisations in urging the German ambassador to address Israel's attacks against civilians and human rights violations in Lebanon.

Smoke from Israeli airstrike on Beirut Southern Suburbs, Lebanon amid Hezbollah-Israel conflict in October 2024 © Ali Chehade Farhat, licensed under Shutterstock.

Your Excellency Ambassador Kurt Georg Stoeckl-Stillfried,

Ambassador of Germany to Lebanon,

Subject: Urgent Call to Address Human Rights Violations in Lebanon and the Justification of Civilian Attacks Through Dehumanizing Rhetoric

Your Excellency,

We, the undersigned organizations, are writing to express our deep concern regarding the recent statements made by the German foreign minister about Israel's war on Gaza following the events of October 7, 2023, and the late Israel invasion into Lebanon.

Since September 17, Israel intensified its attacks on Lebanon, targeting civilian infrastructures, civilians, medical teams, ambulances, journalists, as well as humanitarian workers, in direct violation of International Humanitarian Law, namely the Geneva conventions and their protocols. At the time of writing, and based on the Ministry of Public Health, more than 2574 people were killed, and 12001 wounded, in indiscriminate attacks against civilians in the Bekaa, South Lebanon, North and Beirut.

In a recent declaration from the German Foreign Minister, she stated the following “When Hamas terrorists hide behind people, behind schools, then we get into very difficult issues, but we won’t shy away. That’s why I made it clear to the UN that civilian places can also lose their protected status because terrorists abuse it.”

This statement contradicts the human rights values that both Germany and our organizations have long championed and undermines the significant efforts your country has made to promote and protect human rights globally. By justifying actions that endanger civilians and activists, it poses a serious threat to their safety and well-being. Furthermore, it disregards the core principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, particularly Article 2 and Article 7, which affirm the right to equality and non-discrimination, and protect against any form of incitement to discrimination.

Civilians, and civilian infrastructures are strictly forbidden from being attacked and are clearly protected according to the first protocol to the Geneva convention which stipulates the following:

Article 48 - “In order to ensure respect for and protection of the civilian population and civilian objects, the Parties to the conflict shall at all times distinguish between the civilian population and combatants and between civilian objects and military objectives and accordingly shall direct their operations only against military objectives.”

Article 51 - “The civilian population as such, as well as individual civilians, shall not be the object of attack. Acts or threats of violence the primary purpose of which is to spread terror among the civilian population are prohibited.” “Indiscriminate attacks are prohibited.”

The statements made by the German Foreign Minister disregard international law and endanger civilians by justifying the targeting and killing of thousands of innocent people, in clear violation of humanitarian law. This dangerous rhetoric could be taken as an incentive and pave the way for further justifications and attacks on civilian lives, whether in Lebanon or Gaza. Attacks on civilian infrastructure must never be justified or normalized.

Additionally, German chancellor Olaf Scholz also announced further arms deliveries to Israel during a debate in the country’s parliament, stressing the fact that there will be more deliveries in the near future. After the US, Germany is one of the most important exporters of weapons to Israel. According to Euronews, last year’s exports were valued at 326.5 million euros, ten times more than the previous year. Germany is still exporting arms to a country that is currently on trial for genocide at the International Court of Justice, and that is also bombing civilians, medical teams, ambulances and decimating villages in South Lebanon.

In light of the alarming escalations and the devastating impact on civilians, the undersigned organizations underscore the urgent need to:

Impose an immediate arms embargo on Israel to prevent mass casualties among civilians

Call for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza

Advocate for adherence to international laws pertaining to the protection of civilians

Refrain from using dehumanizing speech as well as narratives that contribute and justify the escalation of violence

Hold accountable all those who engage in dehumanizing rhetoric and provide Israel with an incentive or justification, as they are indirectly supporting the targeting of civilians in violation of international law.

Impose economic, trade, academic and other sanctions on officials who are responsible for, or complicit in serious violations of International Humanitarian Law.

Signatories: