Civil Records for Hundreds of Thousands of Lebanese Could Be Wiped Out By Israel’s Total War

Israel’s ongoing military operations in southern Lebanon have destroyed critical civil infrastructure, including administrative buildings housing land deeds and property records for hundreds of thousands of Lebanese. In Bint Jbeil district, aerial imagery shows burn marks at sites where civil registration files and land deeds were stored, leaving residents unable to prove ownership of homes destroyed during evacuations. The Grand Serail, an old administrative building in Bint Jbeil, contained land deeds for over 20 villages but has been inaccessible since Israeli forces took control. Lebanese authorities, including the Interior Ministry, have requested access through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Mechanism Committee overseeing the ceasefire agreement, but these efforts have been denied. A Lebanese Interior Ministry spokesperson confirmed that civil registry records for Bint Jbeil remain unretrieved due to lack of approval from the Mechanism Committee, which includes Israel. The destruction of civilian infrastructure, including homes and administrative buildings, has left residents fearing permanent displacement, as reconstruction will be nearly impossible without proof of property ownership. Israel’s Defense Forces (IDF) declined to comment on the ICRC request, instead stating that Hezbollah operates within civilian areas and that military operations comply with international law. The IDF has previously stated that all houses in villages near the Lebanese border will be destroyed, a claim experts have linked to potential war crimes. The crisis extends beyond Bint Jbeil, as Lebanon’s chaotic bureaucracy means many records from the past six years—and even older deeds—were never officially registered. Finance Minister Yassine Jaber has monitored the Grand Serail’s destruction via satellite, highlighting the scale of the loss. The situation underscores broader concerns about Israel’s tactics in southern Lebanon, including allegations of deliberate destruction to create a buffer zone against Hezbollah.