By Mark Lavie in Jerusalem
Published: 07 September 2007
Independent
In its strongest condemnation of Israel since last summer's war, Human Rights Watch said yesterday that most Lebanese civilian casualties were caused by "indiscriminate Israeli air strikes".
The international human rights organisation said there was no basis to the Israeli claim that civilian casualties resulted from Hizbollah guerrillas using civilians for cover.Israel has said that it attacked civilian areas because Hizbollah set up rocket launchers in villages and towns.
...Israeli aircraft targeted Lebanese infrastructure, including bridges and Beirut airport, and heavily damaged a district of Beirut known as a Hizbollah stronghold, as well as attacking Hizbollah centres in villages near the border.
...Kenneth Roth, Human Rights Watch executive director, said there were only "rare" cases of Hizbollah operating in civilian villages.
"To the contrary, once the war started, most Hizbollah military officials and even many political officials left the villages," he said.
"Most Hizbollah military activity was conducted from prepared positions outside Lebanese villages in the hills and valleys around."
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