SOUTHERN LEBANON — Videos recorded in April show the Israeli military using foreign-manufactured excavators to demolish homes and infrastructure in Naqoura and Debel. Surveillance footage captured the military using a Volvo excavator to destroy solar panels and water infrastructure in Debel.

Satellite analysis indicates that at least 46 villages in southern Lebanon sustained heavy damage from demolitions after the 17 April ceasefire. The military stated it is destroying infrastructure in the occupied zone, and Israel's defense minister called for the destruction of all homes in Lebanese border villages. The military used 450 metric tonnes of explosives to level structures in the town of Qantara.

Mark Dummett, deputy programme director at Amnesty International, said, "Businesses carrying out activities that contribute to serious international law violations in Lebanon, such as the extensive destruction of civilian property, may expose themselves, or their individual directors and managers, to the risk of prosecution for complicity in war crimes." Dummett said, "Any basic corporate human rights due diligence process would have flagged the risks of the company contributing to these abuses and should have triggered robust measures to ensure that their machinery and equipment were not involved in abuses." Photographs taken in mid-April in the town of Mays al-Jabal show excavators from six manufacturing companies among flattened buildings. Construction equipment is exported directly to the military and also sold commercially to dealers in Israel. The military outsources demolition operations to civilian contractors who supply their own heavy equipment.

International lawyer Alreem Kamal said, "The documented use of similar equipment in contexts such as Gaza means that companies cannot plausibly claim that they were unaware of the risks." Kamal said, "The harm is foreseeable, and they bear a responsibility to take appropriate measures accordingly." Corporate statements from Volvo, Komatsu, Hitachi, and HD Construction Equipment indicate internal policies require human rights compliance in dealer contracts. Statements from Volvo, Hitachi, and Komatsu indicate limited ability to control equipment use after commercial sale. HD Construction Equipment stated the excavator bearing its logo in Lebanon was not sold by the company.

The military stated the actions captured in the Debel video were inconsistent with its values and announced an investigation. Human Rights Watch stated that the wide-scale destruction of villages could constitute wanton destruction. In April, a majority of U.S. Democratic senators voted to block a $295 million sale of Caterpillar bulldozers to Israel.