The Israeli military's call for the immediate evacuation of the entire population of Lebanon south of the Litani River raises serious risks of violations of the laws of war, Human Rights Watch said today. The area makes up about eight percent of Lebanon's territory and is home to hundreds of thousands of people.
Israel's Arabic Military Spokesperson published a post on social media on March 4, 2026, calling on residents of southern Lebanon "to immediately evacuate [their] homes and head north of the Litani River" to "guarantee [their] safety." The statement warned that "any movement to the south could put [their] lives in danger," and that "anyone who is near Hezbollah members, facilities, or combat equipment is placing their life at risk."
"Calling on everyone who lives south of the Litani to evacuate immediately raises serious legal and humanitarian red flags and fears for the safety of civilians." said Ramzi Kaiss, Lebanon researcher at Human Rights Watch. "How are older people, the sick, and people with disabilities going to be able to evacuate immediately? And how will their safety be guaranteed as they leave?"
On March 2, after the escalation of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, the Israeli military first called for the evacuation of over 50 southern Lebanese villages and towns. A few hours later, an Israeli military spokesperson called on residents who evacuated their homes not to return, repeating the statement the following day. By March 3, the Israeli military had called for the evacuation of over 100 villages and towns in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, according to United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced in Lebanon since.
The sweeping nature of the Israeli government's calls on Lebanese residents raises concerns that their purpose is not to protect civilians, especially in the context of recent large-scale displacement of civilians in Lebanon, Human Rights Watch said.
Between September and November 2024, more than 1.2 million people were displaced in Lebanon as a result of an escalation in the hostilities. Although the vast majority of those displaced were able to return after a ceasefire went into effect in November 2024, more than 64,000 people remained displaced in Lebanon and unable to return to their towns and villages as of October 2025.
Over 10,000 buildings were heavily damaged or destroyed in southern Lebanon between October 2023 and January 2025 and entire border villages were reduced to rubble. Israeli attacks unlawfully targeting reconstruction-related equipment and facilities further hampered reconstruction efforts and the ability of tens of thousands of displaced people to return to their homes in southern Lebanon.
International humanitarian law, also known as the laws of war, prohibits forced displacement of civilians in armed conflict unless either the security of the civilians involved or imperative military reasons demand it, but these exceptions are strictly limited. Even when labelled an "evacuation," displacement must be temporary, and civilians must be able to return once hostilities end.
Civilians who remain in place after such an order or warning do not lose their civilian status and the protections of international humanitarian law and may not be targeted simply for failing to leave. Israel's blanket evacuation call to hundreds of thousands of people to leave immediately does not appear to take into account the needs of people who are unable to leave without assistance.
The laws of war also require parties to "take all feasible precautions" to avoid or minimize the incidental loss of civilian life and damage to civilian objects. These precautions include giving "effective advance warning" of attacks when circumstances permit. Warnings that do not give civilians adequate time to leave for a safer area would not be considered "effective" under the law. Broad warnings unrelated to any imminent attack cannot be considered "effective" and may instead improperly instill fear in the affected population.
The laws of war also prohibit "threats of violence the primary purpose of which is to spread terror among the civilian population." Calls to evacuate that are not genuine warnings or lawful orders, such as with the aim to protect the civilian population, but rather primarily intended to cause panic among residents, or compel them to leave their homes for reasons other than their safety, are prohibited.
"Since 2023, the Israeli military has committed serious international crimes in Lebanon while its allies stood by and failed to act decisively to stop them," Kaiss said. "The Lebanese government should also stop stalling and take measures to advance justice and accountability, including by providing the International Criminal Court with the jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute war crimes."
