Amnesty International has called for the immediate establishment of a comprehensive regional ceasefire to replace the fragile, temporary agreements currently held between the United States and Iran, and Israel and Lebanon, warning that the current state of hostilities threatens millions of civilians across the Middle East.
In a briefing released today, the organization stated that the existing ceasefires are precarious and subject to collapse at any moment. The report highlights a pattern of continued aggression, including the seizure of ships and exchange of threats in the Strait of Hormuz between the U.S. And Iran, and ongoing military activity in Lebanon where Israeli forces remain on Lebanese territory, preventing residents from returning to dozens of border villages.
Casualties and Infrastructure Damage
The escalation has resulted in significant loss of life across multiple nations. In Iran, official figures indicate that U.S. And Israeli attacks between February 28 and April 7 killed at least 3,375 people and injured 25,000, including hundreds of children. Among the most severe incidents was a U.S. Strike on a school in Minab, which resulted in 156 deaths, 120 of whom were children.
The strikes in Iran also caused extensive damage to critical civilian infrastructure, including universities, medical centers, power plants, bridges, and petrochemical facilities, which Amnesty International notes has endangered the livelihoods of millions and caused environmental harm.
In Lebanon, 2,294 people were killed and more than 7,500 wounded before the announcement of the latest ceasefire. Since then, hostilities have persisted. On April 8, the Israeli military conducted 100 strikes within a 10-minute window, killing more than 350 people, including targets in crowded civilian areas of central Beirut.
Across the wider region, the conflict has spread to 12 countries. In Israel, 21 civilians have been killed by attacks from Iran and Hezbollah. This includes a strike on a synagogue in Beit Shemesh by an Iranian ballistic missile that killed nine civilians. In the occupied West Bank, four Palestinian women were killed during Iranian missile attacks. Between February 28 and April 15, 2026, at least 29 people were killed in the Gulf states, including 13 in the United Arab Emirates, seven in Kuwait, and three each in Bahrain, Oman, and Saudi Arabia.
Legal Violations and Accountability
Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, characterized the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28 as unlawful violations of the UN Charter’s prohibition on the use of force. Callamard stated that these actions triggered further unlawful retaliatory acts by Iranian authorities, contributing to a cycle where all primary parties—including the USA, Israel, Iran, and Hezbollah—have displayed a “chilling disregard for human life.”
The organization reports that the ceasefire agreements reached in Gaza in 2025 and Lebanon in 2024 failed to protect civilians. In Gaza, as many as 765 Palestinians have been killed since the 2025 agreement. In Lebanon, the 2024 ceasefire was marked by near-daily air strikes and the destruction of civilian property.
Amnesty International is demanding that international crimes be investigated and perpetrators prosecuted in national or international courts. The organization has specifically urged the Lebanese government to accept the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to facilitate these efforts and ensure reparations for victims.
Dual Risks in Iran
The report emphasizes a “dual risk” facing the Iranian population, who are caught between foreign military strikes and internal state repression. The U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign coincided with a violent crackdown by Iranian authorities during protests in January 2026.
Since the foreign attacks began, Iranian authorities have intensified their repression of dissidents and protesters, implementing the longest state-imposed internet shutdown in the country’s history. Amnesty International reports that the government has arbitrarily executed at least 19 people—including protesters and dissidents—and continues to use torture and enforced disappearances to stifle opposition.
Callamard argued that a ceasefire alone is insufficient for Iran, asserting that the country’s constitutional structure entrenches impunity and systemic discrimination. The organization is calling for a “people-centered diplomatic approach” that combines the cessation of hostilities with international pressure to prevent atrocity crimes by the Islamic Republic’s security forces.
Regional Stability and Diplomatic Demands
The current instability follows a protracted period of conflict beginning with the October 7, 2023 attacks and subsequent warfare in Gaza and Lebanon. Amnesty International warns that the normalization of mass civilian suffering is undermining the global legal order and international humanitarian law.
The organization is calling on world leaders to establish a durable, genuine ceasefire that requires a full halt in armed hostilities by all parties across all affected countries. This includes a demand for the Israeli military to withdraw from Lebanese territory and for Hezbollah to cease attacks on Israel.
Amnesty International is now urging the UN Security Council to refer the situation in Iran to the International Criminal Court to establish a pathway for international justice.
