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3. Attacks on infrastructure and other objects
136. During the conflict major damage was inflicted on civilian infrastructure106. According
to the Government of Lebanon, 32 “vital points” were targeted by IDF. These include for
example, the Port of Beirut where the radar was hit. The Commission was told by the Managing
Director of the Port that the radar was used for ship navigation tracking, and not for military
purposes. In addition, the modern lighthouse of Beirut was put out of use by a strike on 15 July.
The airport of Beirut also suffered severe damage to its five runways107 and fuel tanks. This
major destruction occurred during the first days of the conflict.
137. A total of 109 bridges and 137 roads (445,000 sq. km.) were damaged during the conflict,
including some bridges which had been repaired once already.108 The Commission heard
evidence in Qana of the disproportionate use of weapons by IDF. In one incident, for example,
IDF rockets were fired at a small bridge, three times with two rockets at a time, while the bridge
was a simple construction used by shepherds.
138. The destruction of the land transportation network had a huge impact on humanitarian
assistance and on the free movement of displaced civilians, notably those who had been ordered
by IDF to leave their villages. The Commission was told by humanitarian workers that on many
occasions their movement was limited not only because the Israeli authorities did not consent to
it but also because the roads and bridges were severely damaged. On many occasions this
destruction occurred after humanitarian organizations had obtained a clearance from Israel to use
these roads. In the same vein, the Commission was told that the evacuation of civilians was
particularly hampered by the destruction of roads and bridges. This was for example the case for
the convoy of Marjayoun as part of the road had been heavily bombed and therefore the progress
of the convoy was dramatically delayed (the convoy left at about 1600 hours and reached
Western Bekaa at 2130 hours).
139. Water facilities were destroyed or damaged during this conflict in many parts of the
country. The Commission saw numerous water tanks damaged in Chihine, and on the road
between Taibe and Qantara. In Khiyam, the Commission saw evidence of damage to pipes.
Numerous water towers had been hit by a direct fire weapon- probably a tank round. Most had a
single round through them, sufficient to empty their content. Israeli soldiers were stationed in
Froun, in order to control the water source. This led to a decrease of water distribution to the
villages located in the Qada of Marjayoun, south of Taibe.109 In fact fears of lack of water were
one of the reasons why civilians left their villages.110 In Beirut, in the Christian neighbourhood
of Achrafieh, on 19 July, IDF bombed two engineering vehicles used to drill water.111
140. Transmission stations used by Lebanese television and radio were also the targets of
bombing. A clear distinction has to be made between the Hezbollah-backed Al-Manar television
station and others. While the first is clearly a tool used by Hezbollah in order to broadcast
propaganda, nothing similar can be said regarding the others. IDF repeatedly targeted Al-Manar
at the beginning of the conflict, notably its headquarters in the Beirut suburb of Haret-Hreik.
141. In addition to Al-Manar, Future TV, New TV, and the Lebanese Broadcasting
Corporation (LBCI) suffered damages to their infrastructure. The transmission and
communication towers of Télé Lumière, a Christian television station founded in 1991, were
damaged in six different locations.112
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