The Guardian has published images of Israeli military bulldozers and engineering vehicles operating in southern Lebanon, prompting Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International to argue that the manufacturers could face legal action for allegedly aiding war crimes. The report focuses on heavy equipment used by the IDF to demolish homes and public buildings during operations near the border.
According to the article, the machines shown in the photos were made by Volvo, Hyundai, Caterpillar, Hitachi, Komatsu and Doosan. Israeli officials say the targeted sites were used by Hezbollah, including for planning terrorist attacks, and that the demolitions were carried out against those locations.
Human Rights Watch said the destruction of the buildings could amount to a war crime. Amnesty’s senior deputy director for business, security and human rights, Mark Dummett, told The Guardian that companies whose activities contribute to serious violations of international law in Lebanon, such as widespread destruction of civilian property, could expose themselves, or their directors and managers, to prosecution for complicity in war crimes. He also accused Israel of using heavy equipment to demolish Palestinian homes in the West Bank.
Caterpillar is already under heavy scrutiny in the United States after Democratic senators in April backed a proposal to block a $295 million sale of D9 bulldozers to Israel. The story is framed against The Guardian’s long-running critical coverage of Israel.
