Violence in West Asia and the threat to international law ^{CEFR B1}

Warnings about the erosion of international law have intensified as violence spread across West Asia. Observers point to Israel’s so‑called Dahyieh doctrine from the 2006 war as an early example of striking civilian infrastructure to pressure governments; Gaza is described as a more extreme version of that tactic.

Lebanon became a major theatre in 2024 and again in 2026. Nearly 1 million people were displaced from Dahyieh, southern Lebanon and the Bekaa valley. Homes and infrastructure were destroyed, and there are reports that soil contamination was used to prevent people returning.

Medical workers and hospitals were deliberately targeted and evacuated, and attacks on United Nations peacekeepers were reported. In Iran, bombings of oil storage sites caused environmental damage, while strikes also hit desalination plants, media outlets and public utilities. Critics note that Article 54 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions forbids attacks on objects indispensable to civilian survival, but they say the prohibitions are not being enforced.