London, UK – Amnesty International, in an urgent report published Tuesday, called for an independent international investigation into Iran’s missile attack on the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh. The organization stressed the need to classify the attack as a war crime. The attack killed nine civilians, including four teenagers, and injured an estimated 46 others.
The organization based its report on field research and meticulous verification of photos, videos, and documented digital evidence from the scene of the attack in the Ramat Lehi neighborhood. The investigation confirmed that the attack completely destroyed the Teferet Israel synagogue and caused extensive damage to the shelter located beneath it, which was intended to provide a safe haven for civilians.
“Our investigations have concluded that the weapon used, an Iranian ballistic missile, was grossly inaccurate and equipped with an excessively large warhead, making it an indiscriminate weapon completely unsuitable for use in densely populated civilian areas,” said Erika Guevara, Amnesty International’s research director. Guevara added that the attack targeted a synagogue and a shelter, both civilian objects protected under international law.
The organization emphasized that its investigations found no evidence of legitimate military targets in the vicinity of the impact site. It also noted that the nearest Israeli military base is located approximately 3.5 kilometers to the west. Therefore, this negates the claim of “military necessity” for the strike.
Amnesty International concluded its statement by emphasizing that launching indiscriminate attacks that kill civilians or destroy religious and civilian sites constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and amounts to a war crime. The organization called on the international community to ensure an independent and impartial investigation and to bring all those responsible for ordering or carrying out this attack to justice. This is to guarantee justice for the victims and their families. It also stressed that “impunity must not continue in the face of such grave violations.”
