Inadequate, and in some cases misleading — that’s how Amnesty International has described the evacuation warnings issued by the Israeli army to residents of southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut, Al Jazeera reports.

In a statement, the rights group said the orders do not absolve Israel of its obligations under international law to never target civilians and take all possible measures to minimise harm to them.

“Our analysis shows that not only did the warnings issued by the Israeli military include misleading maps, but they were also issued at short notice – in one instance less than 30 minutes before strikes began – in the middle of the night, via social media, when many people would be asleep, offline or not following media reports,” Agnes Callamard, Amnesty’s secretary-general, said.

“Furthermore, instructing the residents of entire towns and villages in south Lebanon to evacuate is an overly general warning that is inadequate and raises questions around whether this is intended to create the conditions for mass displacement.

“Regardless of the efficacy of the warnings, they do not mean that Israel can treat any remaining civilians as targets. People who choose to stay in their homes or are unable to leave because members of their household have limited mobility, due to disability, age or other reasons, continue to be protected by international humanitarian law.”