Israel's large-scale coordinated hostilities against Lebanon may constitute war crimes and require urgent international accountability

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The Middle East and North Africa Peacebuilding Network (MENAPPAC) expresses its strong condemnation of the large-scale and coordinated hostilities carried out by Israel on the midday of 8 April 2026 against the sovereignty of Lebanese territory, targeting more than 100 locations within an extremely short timeframe not exceeding 10 minutes, including densely populated areas in the capital, Beirut. This constitutes a dangerous deterioration of the situation, threatening regional peace and security.

Field reports confirm that Israel carried out these attacks without any prior warning to civilians and have resulted in hundreds of casualties, alongside widespread destruction of civilian homes, infrastructure, and essential services. The simultaneous targeting across multiple locations overwhelmed hospitals and healthcare centres across the country, severely limiting their capacity to respond, fragmenting rescue and search efforts, and creating a state of widespread panic and fear among civilians throughout Lebanon.

MENAPPAC considers that the scale, nature, and coordination of these attacks constitute, first, a serious violation of Lebanese sovereignty; second, a complete breach of the entirety of Lebanese territory; and further notes that these hostilities may amount to grave violations of international humanitarian law and could constitute war crimes, including but not limited to:

• Principle of distinction: Carrying out indiscriminate attacks that fail to distinguish between military objectives and civilians;
• Principle of proportionality: The use of excessive military force causing severe civilian harm that is not proportionate to any concrete and direct anticipated military advantage;
• Obligation of precautions: Failure to take all necessary measures to avoid or minimise civilian casualties;
• Targeting of civilian objects: Targeting and destruction of civilian objects and critical infrastructure that do not constitute legitimate military objectives.

Such acts, if substantiated, may give augmentation to individual criminal responsibility under international law, including under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC). MENAPPAC underscores the urgent need for independent, impartial investigations and stresses that those responsible must be held accountable through appropriate international legal mechanisms.

MENAPPAC affirms that the protection of civilians and the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance are not political choices, but binding legal and moral obligations on all parties without exception. In this context, we express our full solidarity with all innocent civilian victims.

MENAPPAC further condemns these attacks as a grave breach of the ceasefire agreement reached on 7 April 2026 between the United States of America and Iran, with mediation by Pakistan, which explicitly included Lebanon. This violation undermines fragile diplomatic efforts, erodes trust, and risks triggering a broader regional escalation with devastating humanitarian consequences.

At a time when Lebanon is facing profound economic, social, and political crises, these attacks further violate Lebanese sovereignty, exacerbate the suffering of the population, and threaten what remains of social cohesion.
As a regional network of peacebuilding organisations, MENAPPAC calls on:

• The United Nations (UN) to urgently act to secure an immediate cessation of hostilities, mandate an independent international investigative mechanism, and take concrete steps toward accountability for violations that may amount to war crimes;
• The European Union (EU) to apply sustained diplomatic and political pressure to ensure compliance with international humanitarian law and support accountability pathways;
• The League of Arab States (Arab League) to take a unified and decisive stance, mobilise regional diplomatic efforts, and act to protect Lebanon and prevent further escalation;
• All parties to the ceasefire agreement, including the United States of America and Iran, to uphold their commitments and take immediate measures to prevent further violations;
• The international community and humanitarian actors to ensure rapid, safe, and unimpeded humanitarian access and support, and urgently provide Lebanon’s overwhelmed healthcare system with necessary medical assistance. 

MENAPPAC further calls on the Government of Lebanon and all relevant national authorities to take immediate measures to protect civilians on its territories, coordinate an effective national emergency response, ensure equitable access to healthcare and assistance, and actively engage in diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation. MENAPPAC also calls all Lebanese political leaders to act with solidarity, unity and responsibility to safeguard the population and uphold Lebanon’s sovereignty.

MENAPPAC further reaffirms the essential role of civil society organisations, community leaders and local peacebuilders in de-escalation, crisis response, and sustaining social cohesion. We call on the international community for increased support to locally led peacebuilding and humanitarian initiatives as a cornerstone for resilience and long-term stability.

Lebanon, land and people, must not bear the cost of regional conflicts, nor be subjected to any form of collective punishment.

As part of GPPAC, MENAPPAC is a regional network that brings together 15 civil society organisations working on peace and human security issues across the Middle East and North Africa region. The network promotes dialogue, facilitates collective reflection, and delivers policy-relevant peacebuilding analysis.