Amnesty condemns IDF strikes

Amnesty International urged Israel to abide by international law Thursday, calling for Israel to halt attacks on civilian targets and for the Lebanese militia group Hizbullah to treat two kidnapped IDF soldiers humanely. "Israel must put an immediate end to attacks against civilians and against civilian infrastructure in Lebanon, which constitute collective punishment," said Malcolm Smart of the London-based rights group. "Hizbullah must stop launching attacks against Israeli civilians and it must treat humanely the two Israeli soldiers it captured on 12 July and grant them immediate access to the International Committee of the Red Cross." Amnesty stopped short of calling for the soldiers' release since both Lebanon and Israel were signatories of the Geneva Conventions, said Donatella Rovera, also with Amnesty. The Geneva Conventions offer protections to prisoners of war. Amnesty called on the Lebanese government to ensure that Hizbullah complies with the Geneva Conventions obligations.