June 24, 2026
Mr. Welch submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
Requesting information on Israel’s human rights practices pursuant to section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.
Whereas Israeli military operations in Lebanon during the 2026 war have been characterized by the destruction of thousands of civilian homes, residential buildings, and religious sites, and by mass evacuation orders resulting in the displacement of more than 1,000,000 people;
Whereas, according to Lebanon’s National Council for Scientific Research, since February 28, 2026, Israeli operations across Lebanon have destroyed or damaged more than 60,000 housing units;
Whereas press reports indicate that Israel Defense Forces have used bulldozers and controlled demolitions to destroy dozens of centuries-old villages, mosques, and churches across southern Lebanon, with the New York Times reporting the controlled destruction of at least two dozen towns and villages near the border, with damage to government offices as well as civilian infrastructure, including schools, hospitals and mosques
;
Whereas the destruction of civilian homes in Lebanon has been enabled by the imposition of unilaterally declared evacuation zones,
which have displaced more than 1,000,000 people, including 700,000 who were forcibly displaced from a single Beirut neighborhood;
Whereas Israeli officials have spoken of occupying a security zone
and indefinitely occupying Lebanon to the Litani River;
Whereas Article 53 of the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits the destruction of property by occupying powers except where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations
;
Whereas the extensive destruction and appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly
is a breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention and a war crime under section 2441 of title 18, United States Code; and
Whereas intentionally directing attacks against civilian objects is a war crime: Now, therefore, be it
Section 1. Request for information on Israel’s human rights practices
(a) Statement requested
The Senate requests that the Secretary of State, not later than 30 days after the date of the adoption of this resolution, submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, pursuant to section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2304(c)), a statement regarding Israel’s human rights practices that has been prepared in collaboration with the Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor and the Office of the Legal Adviser.
(b) Elements
The statement submitted under subsection (a) should include—
(1)
all available credible information concerning alleged violations of internationally recognized human rights by the Government of Israel since February 28, 2026, including—
(A)
the full scale and scope of the Israeli government’s destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure in Lebanon since February 28, 2026, including the destruction of religious, educational, and medical facilities, and the razing of objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population, including farmland and orchards; and
(B)
an assessment of civilian casualties in unilaterally imposed evacuation zones
and the denial of the right to life in the context of the armed conflict in Lebanon caused by indiscriminate or disproportionate operations in such zones, including the use of so-called double tap
strikes on civilians; and
(2)
other information with regard to operations by the Israeli armed forces in Lebanon since February 28, 2026, including—
(A)
an assessment of whether United States-provided bulldozers, munitions, and defense articles or services have been used in mass destruction or demolition operations, or civilian harm incidents in Lebanon;
(B)
a description of any actions taken by the Secretary of State to solicit a determination from the Office of the Legal Adviser of whether actions by the Government of Israel in Lebanon present risks of violating international humanitarian law or of constituting war crimes or gross violations of human rights for purposes of compliance with the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.); and
(C)
a description of any actions taken by the Secretary of State to seek information and a determination on whether Israel’s operations in Lebanon violate Israel's assurances to the United States Government that United States-provided defense articles and services would be used in accordance with international humanitarian law and for legitimate self-defense
.