2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
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The 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, known in Lebanon as the July War<ref>AFP (2006). Timeline of the July War 2006. The Daily Star. Retrieved on 15 September.</ref> and in Israel as the Second Lebanon War<ref>See, e.g., Yaakov Katz, "Halutz officers discuss war strategy," Jerusalem Post, Sept. 5, 2006, p. 2</ref>, was a military conflict in Lebanon and northern Israel, primarily between Hezbollah paramilitary forces and Israel. It started on 12 July 2006 and continued until a United Nations-brokered ceasefire went into effect on 14 August 2006, though it formally ended on 8 September 2006, when Israel lifted their naval blockade against Lebanon.
The conflict began when Hezbollah fired Katyusha rockets and mortars at Israeli military positions and border villages to divert attention from another Hezbollah unit that crossed the border and kidnapped two Israeli soldiers (Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev) and killed three. Israel attempted to rescue the abducted soldiers and five more were killed during the rescue mission. Israel responded with massive airstrikes and artillery fire on Lebanese civilian infrastructure, which Israel said Hezbollah was using,<ref>Greg Myre and Steven Erlanger, "Clashes spread to Lebanon as Hezbollah Raids Israel," New York Times, July 13, 2006 ("The Israeli military confirmed the strike [on the airport], saying that [it] was a target because Hezbollah receives weapons shipments there").</ref> an air and naval blockade,<ref>Lebanese Premier Seeks U.S. Help in Lifting Blockade. Washington Post (24 August 2006). </ref> and a ground invasion of southern Lebanon. Hezbollah in turn launched rockets into northern Israel and engaged the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in guerrilla warfare from hardened positions. <ref>Urquhart, Conal. "Computerised weaponry and high morale", The Guardian, August 11, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-10-08.</ref>
The conflict killed over 1,500 people, most of whom were Lebanese civilians, severely damaged Lebanese infrastructure, displaced about 900,000 Lebanese and 300,000 Israelis<ref>Mideast War, by the numbers. Guardian Unlimited / Associated Press (2006-08-18). Retrieved on 2006-08-25.</ref><ref>"Hizbullah attacks northern Israel and Israel's response", Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, August, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-10-02.</ref> and disrupted normal life across all of Lebanon and northern Israel. Even after the ceasefire, 256,000 Lebanese remained internally displaced<ref name="usaid" />, and much of South Lebanon remained uninhabitable due to unexploded cluster bombs.
On 11 August 2006 the United Nations Security Council unanimously approved UN Resolution 1701 in an effort to end the hostilities. The resolution, which was approved by both Lebanese and Israeli governments the following days, also called for the disarming of Hezbollah, for Israel to withdraw, and for the deployment of Lebanese soldiers and an enlarged United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) force in southern Lebanon. The Lebanese army began deploying in southern Lebanon on 17 August 2006. The blockade was lifted on 8 September 2006.<ref>Pannell, Ian (9 September 2006). Lebanon breathes after the blockade. BBC News. Retrieved on 2006-09-09.</ref> On 1 October 2006 the Israeli army reported that it had completed its withdrawal<ref>AFP - Israel pulls remaining troops out of Lebanon</ref>, but UNIFIL denied these assertions. When asked about the UNIFIL report, the IDF confirmed its forces were still operating near Ghajar, a village split in two by the border.<ref>UN peacekeepers: Israeli troops still in Lebanon, CNN</ref>
[edit] Background
Lebanon has long failed to control militancy within its borders, and Israel has had a history of using force in Lebanon in response to militant attacks. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was committing cross border attacks from Southern Lebanon into Israel as far back as 1968, but the area became a significant base following the arrival of the PLO leadership and its Fatah brigade after their 1971 expulsion from Jordan. This situation exacerbated demographic tensions over the Lebanese National Pact which divided governmental powers among religious groups, leading in part to the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990). Concurrently, Syria began a 29 year military occupation. Israel's 1978 invasion of Lebanon failed to stem the Palestinian attacks, but Israel invaded Lebanon again in 1982 and forcibly expelled the PLO. Israel withdrew to a slim borderland buffer zone, held with the aid of proxy militants in the South Lebanon Army (SLA). In 1985, a Lebanese Shi'a militia calling itself Hezbollah declared armed struggle to end the Israeli occupation of Lebanese territory. When the Lebanese civil war ended and other warring factions agreed to disarm, Hezbollah and the SLA refused. Combat with Hezbollah weakened Israeli resolve and led to a collapse of the SLA and an early Israeli withdrawal in 2000 to their side of the UN designated border. Citing Israeli control of the Shebaa farms territory and the incarceration of Lebanese prisoners in Israel, Hezbollah continued cross border attacks, and successfully used the tactic of capturing soldiers from Israel as leverage for a prisoner exchange in 2004, though it also continues to call for Israel's destruction.
[edit] Beginning of conflict
At around 9:00 AM local time (06:00 UTC), on 12 July 2006, Hezbollah initiated diversionary rocket attacks toward Israeli military positions near the coast and near the border village of Zar'it<ref name=unreport>"Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (For the period from 21 January 2006 to 18 July 2006)", United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, July 21, 2006.</ref> as well as on the Israeli town of Shlomi.<ref>"Day-by-day: Lebanon crisis - week one", BBC, July 19, 2006.</ref> At the same time, a ground contingent of Hezbollah crossed the border into Israeli territory and attacked two Israeli armoured Humvees patrolling on the Israeli side of the Israel-Lebanon border, near Zar'it, killing three, injuring two, and capturing two Israeli soldiers.<ref name=unreport/><ref>"Israel/Lebanon Under fire: Hizbullah’s attacks on northern Israel", Amnesty International, September 14, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-09-27.</ref> Five more Israeli soldiers were killed later on the Lebanese side of the border during an attempt to rescue the two kidnapped soldiers.
Hezbollah named the attack "Operation Truthful Promise" after leader Hassan Nasrallah's public pledges over the prior year and a half to capture Israeli soldiers and swap them for convicted murderer Samir Kuntar, convicted spy Nasim Nisr, alleged terrorist Yahya Skaf who Hezbollah claims was arrested in Israel (Israel denies this), and Ali Faratan, who is being held for reasons unknown, among any other Lebanese prisoners incarcerated in Israel.<ref name=nasrallah>Press Conference with Hasan Nasrallah. UNDERSTANDING THE PRESENT CRISIS. UPC (12 July 2006). Retrieved on 2006-08-13. </ref><ref name=BBC>J Who are the Mid-East prisoners?. BBC (26 July). Retrieved on 6 October, 2005.</ref> Nasrallah claimed that Israel had broken an agreement to release these prisoners in a previous deal, and that, diplomacy having failed, violence was the only remaining option.<ref name=nasrallah/> Nasrallah declared: "No military operation will return the Israeli captured soldiers…The prisoners will not be returned except through one way: indirect negotiations and a trade of prisoners." <ref>Hizbullah leader calls for prisoner exchange. Al Bawaba (12 July 2006). Retrieved on 2006-08-13. </ref>
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert described the capture of the soldiers as an "act of war" by the sovereign country of Lebanon<ref>Israelis invade Lebanon after soldiers are seized. Guardian Unlimited (July 12, 2006). Retrieved on September 26, 2006.</ref><ref>Olmert: We were attacked by a sovereign country. Ynetnews (July 12, 2006). Retrieved on September 26, 2006.</ref> and promised Lebanon a "very painful and far-reaching response."<ref>Fletcher, Martin (12 July 2006). Regional tensions fuel Lebanon-Israel clashes. MSNBC. Retrieved on 2006-08-13.</ref> Israel quickly blamed the Lebanese government for the raid, as it was carried out from Lebanese territory and Hezbollah had two ministers serving in the Lebanese cabinet at that time.<ref>Alon, Gideon; Aluf Benn, Amos Harel, and Yoav Stern (13 July 2006). Israel holds Lebanon government responsible for Hezbollah attack. Haaretz. Retrieved on 2006-08-13.</ref>
In response, Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora denied any knowledge of the raid and stated that he did not condone it.<ref>Statement by Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. The Manila Times (July 17, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-09-26.</ref><ref name=Lebanon2>Statement by Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. Daily Star (Lebanon) (registration required) (17 July 2006). Retrieved on 2006-08-20.</ref> An emergency meeting of the Lebanese government reaffirmed this position.<ref name=Lebanon1>Qawas, Nafez; Raed El Rafei (13 July 2006). Simiora's Cabinet makes clear it had nothing to do with ‘what happened’. Daily Star (Lebanon) (registration required). Retrieved on 2006-08-20.</ref>
The Israel Defense Forces attacked targets within Lebanon with artillery and airstrikes hours before the Israeli Cabinet met to discuss a response. Israel's chief of staff Dan Halutz said, "if the soldiers are not returned, we will turn Lebanon's clock back 20 years," while the head of Israel's Northern Command Udi Adam said, "this affair is between Israel and the state of Lebanon. Where to attack? Once it is inside Lebanon, everything is legitimate -- not just southern Lebanon, not just the line of Hezbollah posts." The Israeli Cabinet authorized "severe and harsh" retaliation on Lebanon.<ref name="severe and harsh">Israel authorizes 'severe' response to abductions. CNN (July 12, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-09-26.</ref> A retired Israeli Army Colonel explained that the rationale behind the attack was to create a rift between the Lebanese population and Hezbollah supporters by exacting a heavy price from the elite in Beirut.<ref>Wright, Robin; Thomas E. Ricks (19 July 2006). Bush Supports Israel's Move Against Hezbollah. Washington Post. Retrieved on 2006-08-13.</ref>
When asked in August about the proportionality of the response, Prime Minister Olmert stated that the "war started not only by killing eight Israeli soldiers and abducting two but by shooting Katyusha and other rockets on the northern cities of Israel on that same morning. Indiscriminately." He added "no country in Europe would have responded in such a restrained manner as Israel did."<ref>Farrel, Stephen (2 August 2006). The Times interview with Ehud Olmert: full transcript. The Times. Retrieved on 2006-08-13. </ref>
[edit] Israeli action
- See also: Timeline of Military Operations in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
- See also: Military equipment of Israel
During the campaign, Israel's Air Force flew more than 12,000 combat missions. The Navy fired 2,500 shells, and the Army fired over 100,000 shells <ref name="jdw230806">"The war in numbers", Jane's Defence Weekly, 23 August 2006.</ref>, destroying large parts of the Lebanese civilian infrastructure. 400 miles of roads, 73 bridges and 31 targets such as Beirut International Airport, ports, water and sewage treatment plants, electrical facilities, 25 fuel stations, 900 commercial structures, up to 350 schools and two hospitals were destroyed, as well as some 15,000 homes. Some 130,000 more homes were damaged.<ref>Mideast War, by the numbers. Guardian / Associated Press (2006-08-18). Retrieved on 2006-08-25.</ref> <ref>Lebanon Refuses Contact With Israel. Guardian / Associated Press (2006-08-30). Retrieved on 2006-09-04.</ref> <ref>Amnesty report accuses Israel of war crimes. Guardian (2006-08-23). Retrieved on 2006-09-03.</ref> <ref>Crayons, glass, litter floor of Lebanese school. Reuters AlertNet (2006-08-30). Retrieved on 2006-09-03.</ref>
Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz ordered commanders to prepare civil defense plans. One million Israelis had to stay near or in bomb shelters or security rooms, with some 250,000 civilians evacuating the north and relocating to other areas of the country.<ref name="RCANI">Hizballah's Rocket Campaign Against Northern Israel: A Preliminary Report. Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (2006-08-31). Retrieved on 2006-09-14.</ref>
[edit] Timeline
- Early on 13 July 2006 Israel began attacks on civilian targets with the bombing of Beirut International Airport, forcing its closure and diversion of incoming flights to Cyprus.<ref name = "HRTZ_Block_Bomb">Hasson, Nir; Jack Khoury, Amos Harel, Aluf Benn, and Gideon Alon (14 July 2006). Israel targets Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut suburb. Haaretz. Retrieved on 2006-08-20.
</ref> Israel subsequently imposed an air and sea blockade on Lebanon, and bombed the main Beirut–Damascus highway.<ref name = "HRTZ_Block_Bomb" />
- On 14 July 2006 the IDF bombed Nasrallah's offices in Beirut.<ref>"Hezbollah leader vows 'open war'", BBC News, 07-15-06.</ref>Nasrallah addressed Israel, saying “You wanted an open war, and we are heading for an open war. We are ready for it.”<ref name=openwar>"Israeli Attacks Increase; Hezbollah Vows ‘Open War’", NPR, 2006-07-14.</ref>
- On 23 July 2006 Israeli land forces crossed into Lebanon in the Maroun al-Ras area, which overlooks several other locations said to have been used as launch sites for Hezbollah rockets.<ref>"Israel 'seizes' Hezbollah village", BBC News, 2006-07-23.</ref>
- On 25 July 2006 IDF engaged Hezbollah forces in the Battle of Bint Jbeil.
- On 26 July 2006 Israeli forces attacked and destroyed an UN observer post.<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5215366.stm</ref> Described as a nondeliberate attack by Israel, the post was shelled for hours before being bombed. UN forces made repeated calls<ref>"Soldier missing at UN border post, presumed dead", CTV television network, July 26, 2006.</ref> to alert Israeli forces of the danger to the UN observers, all four of whom were killed. Rescuers were shelled as they attempted to reach the post. According to an e-mail sent earlier by one of the UN observers killed in the attack, there had been numerous occasions on a daily basis where the post had come under fire from both Israeli artillery and aerial bombing. The UN observer reportedly wrote that previous Israeli bombing near the post had not been deliberate targeting, but rather due to "tactical necessity," military jargon which retired Canadian Major General Lewis MacKenzie later interpreted as indicating that Israeli strikes were aimed at Hezbollah targets extremely close to the post.
- On 27 July 2006 Hezbollah ambushed the Israeli forces in Bint Jbeil and killed eight soldiers. Israel said it also inflicted heavy losses on Hezbollah.<ref name="bintj">"Bint Jbeil: Hezbollah heartland", BBC News, 2006-07-27.</ref>
- On 28 July 2006 Israeli paratroopers killed 26 of Hizbullah's commando elite in Bint Jbeil. In total, the IDF claimed that 80 fighters were killed in the battles at Bint Jbeil. <ref>Ynet (Hebrew)</ref>
- On 30 July 2006 Israeli airstrikes hit an apartment building in Qana, killing at least 28 civilians, of which 16 were children, with 13 more missing.<ref>Human Rights Watch puts Qana death toll at 28, Reuters, August 3, 2006.</ref> The airstrike was widely condemned.
- On 31 July 2006 the Israeli military and Hezbollah forces engaged Hezbollah in the Battle of Ayta ash-Shab.
- On 1 August 2006 Israeli commandos launched Operation Sharp and Smooth and landed in Baalbek and captured five civilians including one bearing the same name as Hezbollah's leader, "Hassan Nasrallah". All of the civilians were released after the ceasefire.<ref>KIFNER, John (23 August 2006). What’s in a Name? Not, It Seems, a Leader of Hezbollah in Lebanon. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2006-08-23.
</ref> Troops landed near Dar al-Himkeh hospital west of Baalbeck as part of a widescale operation in the area.
- On 4 August 2006 the IAF attacked a building in the area of al-Qaa around 10 kilometers (six miles) from Hermel in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon. Thirty-three farm workers, mostly Syrian and Lebanese Kurds, were killed during the airstrike.
- On 5 August 2006 Israeli commandos carried out a nighttime raid in Tyre.
- On 7 August 2006 the IAF attacked the Shiyyah suburb in the Lebanese capital of Beirut, destroying three apartment buildings in the suburb, killing at least 50 people.
- On 11 August 2006 the IAF attacked a convoy of approximately 750 vehicles containing Lebanese police, army, civilians, and one Associated Press journalist, killing at least seven people and wounding at least 36.
- On 12 August 2006 the IDF established its hold in Lebanon. Over the weekend Israeli forces in southern Lebanon nearly tripled in size.<ref>Greenberg, Hanan (12 August 2006). Chief of staff: We tripled our forces in southern Lebanon. Haaretz. Retrieved on 2006-08-20.
</ref> and were ordered to advance towards the Litani River.<ref>Katz, Yaakov (12 August 2006). IDF troops advancing to Litani River. Jerusalem Post. Retrieved on 2006-08-20.</ref>
- On 14 August 2006 the Israeli Air Force reported that they had killed the head of Hezbollah’s Special Forces, whom they identified as Sajed Dewayer, while Hezbollah denied this claim.<ref>Greenberg, Hanan (16 August 2006). IDF: Senior Hizbullah man killed before truce. Ynetnews. Retrieved on 2006-08-20.
</ref> 80 minutes before the cessation of hostilities, the IDF targeted a Palestinian faction in the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp in Sidon, killing a UNRWA staff member. Two refugees had been killed in an attack on this camp six days prior to the incident.<ref>[2]</ref>
[edit] Hezbollah action
- See also: Timeline of Military Operations in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
- See also: Hezbollah rocket force
During the campaign, Hezbollah fired between 3,970 and 4,228 rockets, about 95% of which were 122 mm (4.8 in) Katyusha artillery rockets carrying an up to 30 kg (66 lb) warhead and having a range of up to 30 km (19 mi).<ref name="RCANI" /><ref>Hezbollah's rocket force. BBC (2006-07-18). Retrieved on 2006-09-14.</ref> An estimated 23% of these rockets hit built-up areas, primarily civilian in nature.<ref>Mideast War, by the numbers. Guardian / Associated Press (2006-08-18). Retrieved on 2006-08-25.</ref><ref name="RCANI" /><ref name="jdw230806" /> Cities hit included Haifa, Hadera, Nazareth, Tiberias, Nahariya, Safed, Afula, Kiryat Shmona, Beit She'an, Karmiel, and Maalot, and dozens of Kibbutzim, Moshavim, and Druze and Arab villages, as well as the northern West Bank. <ref name = "NYTmap">Major Attacks in Lebanon, Israel and the Gaza Strip. New York Times (14 August 2006). Retrieved on 2006-08-23. </ref><ref>Greenberg, Hannan; Neta Sela, Aviram Zino, and Ahiya Raved (14 July 2006). Woman, grandson killed in Meron rocket attack. Ynetnews. Retrieved on 2006-08-13.</ref><ref>"Long-range rocket lands near Jenin", Ynetnews, 2006-08-02.</ref> Hezbollah also engaged in guerrilla warfare from well fortified positions with the IDF. These attacks by small, well-armed units caused serious problems for the IDF, especially where hundreds of sophisticated Russian-made anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) were used. Hezbollah destroyed 14 Israeli Merkava main battle tanks and damaged 50. Six tanks were destroyed by anti-tank mines. Hezbollah caused additional casualties using ATGMs to collapse buildings onto Israeli troops sheltering inside. <ref name="jdw230806" />
After the initial Israeli response, Hezbollah declared an all-out military alert. Hezbollah was estimated to have 13,000 missiles at the beginning of the conflict.<ref>[3]</ref>. Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that it was a trained, skilled, well-organized, highly motivated infantry that was equipped with the cream of the crop of modern weaponry from the arsenals of Syria, Iran, Russia, and China.<ref>Tal, Avraham. "Justified, essential and timely", Haaretz, 31 July 2006. Retrieved on 2006-08-14.</ref> Lebanese satellite TV station Al-Manar reported that the attacks had included a Fajr-3 and a Ra'ad 1, both liquid-fuel missiles developed by Iran.<ref>"Hezbollah rockets kill 9 in Israeli city", Associated Press, 2006-07-16. </ref><ref>Hizballah Rockets. GlobalSecurity.org (200630 July).</ref><ref name=Manar>"Hizbullah: One of the rockets is a Ra'ad 1", Ynetnews, 2006-07-16.</ref>
[edit] Timeline
- On 13 July 2006 In response to Israel's attacks on civilians, Hezbollah launched rockets at Haifa for the first time, hitting a cable car station along with a few other buildings.
- On 14 July 2006 Hezbollah attacked the INS Hanit, an Israeli Sa'ar 5-class missile boat enforcing the naval blockade, with a radar guided C-802 anti-ship missile. 4 sailors were killed and the warship was severely damaged and towed back to port.
- On 17 July 2006 Hezbollah hit a railroad repair depot, killing eight workers. Hezbollah claimed that this attack was aimed at a large Israeli fuel storage plant adjacent to the railway facility. Haifa is home to many strategically valuable facilities such as shipyards and oil refineries.<ref>"2 wounded in Hezbollah strike on Haifa", The News-Sentinel, 2006-07-17.</ref><ref>"Israel hammers at Lebanese infrastructure", The Associated Press, 2006-07-17.</ref>
- On 18 July 2006 Hezbollah hit a hospital in Safed in northern Galilee, wounding eight.<ref>Siegel-Itzkovich, Judy (July 2006). "Hizbollah rocket hits hospital" (Abstract). British Medical Journal 333 (7561): 217-b-. DOI:10.1136/bmj.333.7561.217-b. Retrieved on 2006-08-13.
</ref>
- On 27 July 2006 Hezbollah ambushed the Israeli forces in Bint Jbeil and killed eight soldiers. Israel said it also inflicted heavy losses on Hezbollah.<ref name="bintj" />
- On 3 August 2006 Nasrallah warned Israel against hitting Beirut and promised retaliation against Tel Aviv in this case. <ref>"Lebanese Hezbollah warns of rocket attacks at Tel Aviv if Beirut struck", People's Daily, 4 August 2005</ref> He also stated that Hezbollah would stop its rocket campaign if Israel ceased aerial and artillery strikes of Lebanese towns and villages.<ref name="mabat" >(Hebrew)"Mabat", IBA, 3 August 2006</ref>
- On 4 August 2006 Israel attacked the southern outskirts of Beirut, and later in the day, Hezbollah launched rockets at the Hadera region.<ref>Raved, Ahiya (4 August 2006). For first time: Hizbullah targets Hadera area. Ynetnews. Retrieved on 2006-08-15.</ref>
- On 9 August 2006 nine Israeli soldiers were killed when the building they were taking cover in was struck by a Hezbollah anti-tank missile and collapsed.
- On 12 August 2006 24 Israeli soldiers were killed; the worst Israeli loss in a single day. Out of those 24, five soldiers were killed when Hezbollah shot down an Israeli helicopter, a first for the militia.<ref name="jpost">"24 soldiers killed in South Lebanon Saturday", Jerusalem Post, 2006-08-12.</ref>. Hezbollah claimed the helicopter had been attacked with a Wa'ad missile.<ref>"Hezbollah downs Israeli helicopter", Al Jazeera, 2006-03-16.</ref>
[edit] Position of Lebanon
- See also: Siniora Plan
- See also: Foreign relations of Lebanon
While Israel initially held the Lebanese government responsible for the Hezbollah attacks due to Lebanon's failure to implement Resolution 1559 and disarm Hezbollah, Lebanon disavowed the raids, stating that the government of Lebanon did not condone them, and that Israel had its own history of disregarding inconvenient UN resolutions.<ref name=Lebanon2 /> On 13 July 2006 Hezbollah hit Haifa for the first time, targeting a cable car station along with a few other buildings .On 14 July 2006 the Prime Minister's office issued a statement that called on US President George W. Bush to exert all his efforts on Israel to stop its attacks on Lebanon, reach a comprehensive ceasefire and lift its blockade. <ref>"Lebanon says Bush to press Israel to limit attacks", Reuters, 2006-07-14.</ref> On the next day, Siniora called for "an immediate ceasefire backed by the United Nations" in a televised speech.<ref name="ABC News">"Lebanese PM demands ceasefire", ABC News, 2006-09-15.</ref> A US-France draft for a resolution that was influenced by the Lebanese Siniora Plan and which contained conditions on Israeli withdrawal, military actions and mutual prisoner release, was later rejected as inadequate. Many Lebanese accused the US government of stalling the ceasefire resolution and support of Israel. In a poll conducted two weeks into the conflict, 8% of the respondents felt that the US would support Lebanon, while 87% supported Hezbollah's fight against Israel.<ref>Israeli strikes may boost Hezbollah base</ref> After the attack on Qana, Siniora snubbed US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice by cancelling a meeting with her and thanked Hezbollah for its "sacrifices for the independence and sovereignty of Lebanon."<ref>Civilian Deaths in Lebanon Provoke International Outcry, Israel Suspends Aerial Bombardment</ref> On 7 August 2006 the 7-point plan was extended to include the deployment of 15,000 Lebanese Army troops to fill the void between an Israeli withdrawal and UNIFIL deployment.
During Israel's raid on Tyre, the Lebanese Army reportedly fired surface-to-air missiles at Israeli helicopters, which returned fire and destroyed a Lebanese M113 Armored Personnel Carrier. <ref>Israeli commandos raid Tyre, USATODAY.com</ref>
[edit] Targeting of civilian areas
The high number of civilian deaths in the conflict has been one of its most controversial aspects; The vast majority of casualties were civilians, around 1,056 Lebanese and 44 Israelis.<ref>"UN likely to cut request for Lebanon emergency aid", Reuters, 2006-07-23.</ref><ref>Lebanon: Key Facts - BBC News. "Attacks by air, land and sea targeted Lebanese cities, roads and infrastructure, killing about 1,100 civilians"</ref> Almost one third of the Lebanese civilian casualties were children under 13 years of age. <ref>"Lebanon says 1,000 dead or missing", Reuters, 2006-08-07.</ref> <ref>"Lebanon Reports 1,130 Dead", IsraelNationalNews, 2006-08-12.</ref>
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) initially estimated about 35,000 homes and businesses in Lebanon were destroyed by Israel in the conflict, while a quarter of the country's road bridges or overpasses were damaged. Jean Fabre, a UNDP spokesman, estimated that overall economic losses for Lebanon from the month-long conflict between Israel and Hezbollah totaled "at least $15 billion, if not more."<ref>War wiped out 15 years of Lebanese recovery - UNDP. The Daily Star (24 August 2006). Retrieved on 2006-08-24.</ref> Israel, however, says that it only attacked buildings and infrastructure used by Hezbollah to launch rockets or receive re-supply from Iran and Syria.<ref name = "WPFiner">Finer, Jonathan, "Israeli Soldiers Find a Tenacious Foe in Hezbollah", Washington Post, 8 August 2006, p. A1. Retrieved on 2006-08-23. “Israeli commanders say Hezbollah has obtained its sophisticated weaponry from its main backers, Syria and Iran…[They also claim that] Hezbollah chooses to fight in and among civilian centers, making it difficult to target its fighters without killing bystanders.” </ref><ref name = "WPCody">Cody, Edward; Molly Moore, "Israeli Warplanes Hit Lebanon's Christian Areas", Washington Post, 5 August 2006, p. A12. Retrieved on 2006-08-23. “An Israeli military spokesman, Capt. Jacob Dallal, said Israeli planes attacked a building in Qaa suspected of ‘being used as a weapons depot of some sort’.…Israeli aircraft also hit Beirut’s southern suburbs, at Ouzai near Beirut’s international airport.…The targets were buildings with Hezbollah offices and other installations, they claimed.” </ref>
Hezbollah also fired hundreds of rockets, sometimes more than 200 per day throughout the conflict, which landed in all major cities of northern Israel, including Haifa, Nazareth, and Tiberias, as well as dozens of kibbutzim, moshavim, Druze, and Arab villages,<ref>"Hizbullah attacks northern Israel and Israel's response", MFA, 2006-07-12.</ref><ref name = "NYTmap" /><ref>"Anxious northern Israel endures rocket fire", CNN.</ref> while Israel destroyed large parts of the Lebanese civilian infrastructure with airstrikes and heavy artillery fire. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah defended the attacks, saying that Hezbollah had "started to act calmly, we focused on Israel[i] military bases and we didn’t attack any settlement, however, since the first day, the enemy attacked Lebanese towns and murdered civilians—Hezbollah militants had destroyed military bases, while the Israelis killed civilians and targeted Lebanon's infrastructure."<ref>"Hizbullah leader promises enemy 'more surprises'", Islamic Resistance Lebanon, 17 July 2006.</ref>
Various agencies have criticised both Israel and Hezbollah; Amnesty International condemned both Hezbollah and Israel for attacks on civilians, in addition to the confirmed use of white phosphorus by the IDF,<ref>"UN: Security Council must adopt urgent measures to protect civilians in Israel-Lebanon conflict", Amnesty International.</ref><ref>Obligations under international humanitarian law of the parties to the conflict in Israel and Lebanon. Amnesty International (26 July 2006). Retrieved on 2006-08-15. </ref> and published a report suggesting that the attacks on civilian property were a deliberate part of the Israeli military strategy, rather than collateral damage;<ref>Deliberate destruction or "collateral damage"? Israeli attacks on civilian infrastructure. Amnesty International (2006-08-23).</ref> Human Rights Watch condemned the indiscriminate use of force against civilians by both Israel and Hezbollah. They blamed Israel for systematically failing to distinguish between combatants and civilians, which may constitute a war crime, and accused Hezbollah of committing war crimes by the deliberate and indiscriminate killing of civilians by firing rockets into populated areas. The organization also strongly criticized Hezbollah and Israel for using cluster bombs too close to civilians because of their inaccuracy and unreliability, suggesting that Hezbollah may have gone as far as deliberately targeting civilian areas with such munitions.<ref>http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2006/10/18/lebano14412.htm</ref> Hezbollah was also criticized by Human Rights Watch for filling its rockets with ball bearings, which "suggests a desire to maximize harm to civilians";<ref name=HRW_UN_request>"U.N.: Open Independent Inquiry into Civilian Deaths", Human Rights Watch, 2006-08-08.</ref><ref>"Israeli Cluster Munitions Hit Civilians in Lebanon", Human Rights Watch, 2006-07-24.</ref><ref>Lebanon: Hezbollah Rocket Attacks on Haifa Designed to Kill Civilians. Human Rights Watch (18 July 2006). Retrieved on 2006-08-13.</ref> the U.N has criticised Israel for it's use of cluster munitions and disproportionate attacks.<ref name="BBC 2006-07-20">"UN warning on Mid-East war crimes", BBC News, 2006-07-20.</ref> Both sides have been accused of violations of international law and war crimes.<ref name="BBC 2006-07-20"/>
Israeli officials accused Hezbollah of intentionally using the civilian population as human shields, and several reports have alleged that Hezbollah fired rockets from residential areas to draw Israeli fire on those areas, which maximised civilian casualties.<ref>"Might in the air will not defeat guerillas in this bitter conflict", The Times, 2006-06-02.</ref><ref>Verma, Sonia (August 5, 2006). Hezbollah's deadly hold on heartland: Loved by many, accused by others of sacrificing civilians. CanWest Interactive. Retrieved on 2006-08-07.</ref> Moreover, the IDF said that Hezbollah had blocked village exits to prevent residents from leaving the warzone.<ref>http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3278026,00.html</ref> The Association for Civil Rights in Israel points to Israeli attacks on roads, bridges and vehicles transporting refugees as preventing civilian evacuation.<ref>ACRI calls for state inquiry into Lebanese civilian deaths. Association for Civil Rights in Israel ([2006-07-31]). Retrieved on 2006-09-07.</ref>
[edit] Environmental damage
- See also: Jiyeh power station oil spill
The Israeli Air Force bombed the Jiyeh power station, 30 km (19 mi) south of Beirut, on 13 July 2005 and 15 July 2006, resulting in an environmental disaster. The plant's damaged storage tanks leaked 20,000 to 30,000 tonnes of oil into the eastern Mediterranean Sea, comparable in size to the Exxon Valdez oil spill.<ref>"UN sounds Lebanon oil spill alarm", Al Jazeera, 2006-08-08.</ref> A 10 km (6 mi) wide oil slick covered 170 km (105 statute miles) of coastline at one point,<ref>"Crisis talks on Lebanon oil spill", BBC News, 2006-08-16.</ref><ref>"'Damage is done' to Lebanon coast", BBC News, 2006-08-08.</ref> and threatened Turkey and Cyprus. The slick reportedly killed fish, threatened the habitat of the endangered green sea turtle, as well as potentially increased the risk of cancer. The Lebanese government estimated the time necessary for a complete recovery to be 10 years. The UN estimated the cost for the initial clean-up at $64m. <ref>"Middle East crisis: Facts and figures", BBC News.</ref>
Hezbollah rocket attacks caused numerous forest fires inside northern Israel, particularly on the Naftali mountain range near Kiryat Shmona.<ref>"In pictures: Conflict enters fourth week: Picture 8: "Some Hezbollah rockets have started forest fires in Israel"", BBC News, 2006-08-02.</ref> As of 8 August as many as 9,000 acres including 3,000 acres of Israel’s few forests, were damaged by fires caused by Hezbollah rockets, and at least one forest has lost nearly 75% of its trees.<ref>Kraft, Dina (8 August 2006). Dry Forests in Northern Israel Are Damaged as Hezbollah’s Rocket Attacks Ignite Fires. The Environment. New York Times. Retrieved on 2006-08-08. </ref> The Jewish National Fund estimated that it would take 50 to 60 years to rehabilitate the forests.<ref>Jewish National Fund (2006-08-09). More Press for JNF's Work in the North. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-08-14.</ref>
[edit] International action and reaction
- See also: Military and economic aid in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
- See also: Humanitarian and economic aid in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
The conflict engendered worldwide concerns over infrastructure damage and the risks of escalation of the crisis, as well as mixed support and criticism of both Hezbollah and Israel.<ref>"Developments in Israel-Lebanon Crisis", Forbes, 07-13-06.</ref> Governments of the United States,<ref>Office of the Press Secretary. "President Bush and German Chancellor Merkel Participate in Press Availability", The White House, 2006-07-13. Retrieved on 2006-07-15.</ref> United Kingdom, Germany<ref>"Interview with Federal Foreign Minister Steinmeier on the Middle East", German Foreign Office, 2006-07-13.</ref>Australia, and Canada, asserted Israel's right to self-defense. The United States government further responded by authorizing Israel's request for expedited shipment of precision-guided bombs, but did not announce the decision publicly.<ref>Reuters. "US Rushes Precision-Guided Bombs to Israel", Reuters, 2006-07-22.</ref>
Among neighboring Middle Eastern nations, Iran, Syria, and Yemen voiced strong support for Hezbollah, while the Arab League issued statements condemning Israel’s response<ref name = "HARTZAL">Arab League declares support for Lebanon, calls on UN to step in. Haaretz (16 July 2006). Retrieved on 2006-08-13.</ref> and criticizing Hezbollah’s action.<ref>Fattah, Hassan M. (17 July 2006). Arab League criticizes Hezbollah for attacks. International Herald Tribune. Retrieved on 2006-08-13.</ref>
Many worldwide protests and demonstrations appealed for an immediate ceasefire on both sides and expressed concern for the heavy loss of civilian life on all sides. Other demonstrations were held exclusively in favor of Lebanon or Israel. Numerous newspaper advertising campaigns, SMS and email appeals, and online