Twelve U.S. Democratic Senators have asked the U.S. Central Command about coordination with Israel on evacuation zones in Lebanon and Iran, warning that the practice may violate international law. The letter, led by Vermont Sen. Peter Welch and dated May 4, was addressed to CENTCOM chief Adm. Brad Cooper.
Concerns Over Evacuation Zones
The senators said the sweeping warnings have “been used to permanently displace people and destroy homes and towns” and that some civilians who refused to leave have been killed by subsequent strikes. The letter states that Israel’s practice of unilaterally declaring mass evacuation warnings in Lebanon and Iran “likely contravene international laws the United States has helped develop around humane warfare.”
Other signatories include Senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin. The letter asks whether U.S. forces have coordinated military targets with Israeli forces, provided assistance or intelligence for evacuation zones, or signed off on targeting people or infrastructure in those zones. It also asks whether the U.S. military has reviewed the legality of the practice.
Israeli and CENTCOM Responses
The Israeli military declined to comment, and CENTCOM did not immediately respond. Israel has said the evacuation maps aim to keep civilians out of harm’s way, citing Hezbollah’s positioning of fighters and weapons in civilian areas.
Shift in Democratic Party Stance
Observers say the move reflects a larger shift among Democratic leaders on U.S. military assistance to Israel. The letter came after more than three dozen Democrats supported an effort by Sanders to block arms sales to Israel, though the resolutions were rejected. Jon Finer, former deputy national security adviser, said the steps reflect “growing concern about Israeli conduct of various wars that cause civilian harm and U.S. complicity in that.”
Andrew Miller, a former State Department official, said the letter “represents a shift among congressional Democrats moving from questions of the legality of Israeli military operations to concerns about the complicity of the U.S. military.” He added, “It demonstrates that Democrats are taking international law very seriously.”
Evacuation Zones in Practice
Israel has issued dozens of evacuation warnings in Lebanon since the latest war began on March 2, displacing over 1 million people. Similar warnings have been issued for Iran, including one last year warning 300,000 people in Tehran to evacuate. On Wednesday, the Israeli military issued a warning to residents of 12 villages in southern Lebanon, despite a nominal ceasefire since April 17.
The senators said the declaration of evacuation zones does not absolve Israeli and U.S. forces “from the absolute legal responsibility to determine that each individual person or civilian facility targeted ... is, in fact, a military target.” They linked the zones to “the deaths of thousands of civilians,” describing them as “kill zones.”
