US senators question military role in Israel's Lebanon displacement campaign
Twelve Democratic senators have written to the head of US Central Command, raising concerns about the possible US military role in Israel's use of evacuation zones in Lebanon.
The letter says mass displacement orders may breach international law.
The lawmakers addressed the letter to Brad Cooper, who leads CENTCOM.
They said the practice of declaring evacuation zones has been used to permanently displace people and destroy homes and towns.
The senators said such zones do not remove the legal responsibility to determine whether people or civilian facilities are legitimate military targets.
Signatories include Peter Welch, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Chris Van Hollen and Chris Coons.
The intervention adds to scrutiny of Israel's conduct in Lebanon and to questions in Washington about how far US forces could be linked to the policy.
The letter also refers to similar concerns about displacement orders in Gaza and Iran.
According to the lawmakers, Israel has been systematically turning depopulated border towns in Lebanon into rubble.
