Human Rights Watch on War Crimes in Lebanon

Any real discussion of the issue of the IDF's culpability in Lebanon is going to have to start with this Human Rights Watch report.

Based on investigations on the ground, HRW has documented what should be unsurprising to anyone following the conflict: the IDF is targeting sites with little or no military value with total disregard for civilian casualties. Of the 153 civilian deaths documented by name (the total is undoubtedly much higher), 63 were children.

HRW debunks apologist arguments that most of the attacks are in areas of Hezbollah activity.

There is no doubt that Hezbollah is also violating the laws of war, and therefore deserves the designation of "terrorist group", and HRW makes that point. I haven't been making this point because I suspect it is obvious and uncontroversial to the people who read me. But if we judge matters by sheer magnitude, the deaths Israel is inflicting are greater. Also, I do not live in a country where the Prime Minister is discounting Hezbollah atrocities, let alone attacks on Canadian nationals and soldiers.

(Via Crooked Timber)