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2006 Lebanon War

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2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
(Arab-Israeli conflict)
Part of the Israel-Lebanon conflict
File:2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict titlepic.png
Smoke over Tyre after an Israeli bombardment (top), a Katyusha-damaged building in Haifa (bottom left), an IDF M109 self-propelled howitzer fires into Southern Lebanon (bottom right)
Date12 July 2006 — 14 August 2006
Israeli blockade of Lebanon ended on 8 September 2006
Location
Lebanon and northern Israel
Result Provisioned by UNSC Resolution 1701
Belligerents
File:Flag of Hezbollah.svg Hezbollah
File:Amal movement.jpg Amal
File:Lebanese Communist Party Flag.png LCP		  Israel
Commanders and leaders
Hassan Nasrallah (Secretary General of Hezbollah), veteran Fatah operative Imad Mughniyeh[1]
 Dan Halutz (CoS), Moshe Kaplinsky[2], Udi Adam (Regional)
Strength
600-1,000 active fighters (of 3,000 - 5,000 available and 10,000 reservists) [3] 30,000 ground troops
(plus IAF & ISC) [4]
Casualties and losses

Hezbollah militia:
~250 dead claimed by Hezbollah[5]
440 dead claimed and identified by IDF (of an estimated 700)[6]
500 dead estimated by the UN[7]
Up to 650 dead estimated by an Israeli research group[8]
700+ dead according to Lebanese sources[9]

13 captured[10]

IDF:
119 dead [11]
400+ injured

2 captured

all figures are confirmed by Israeli government

Lebanese citizens:
1,191 dead[12]
4,409 wounded [12]
Lebanese government claims most deaths were civilians.[13]
Some reports claim it may include militants in civilian clothing.[14]

Israeli civilians:
43 dead [11][15]

1,350+ injured[16]
for other casualties, see: Casualties of the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
Template:Campaignbox Arab-Israeli conflict

The 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, known in Lebanon as the July War[17] and in Israel as the Second Lebanon War,[18] was a military conflict in Lebanon and northern Israel. The principal parties were Hezbollah paramilitary forces and the Israeli military. The conflict 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 of Lebanon.

The conflict began when Hezbollah fired Katyusha rockets and mortars at Israeli military positions and border villages, diverting attention from another Hezbollah unit that crossed the border and kidnapped two Israeli soldiers and killed three others.[19] Israeli troops attempted to rescue the abducted soldiers but were unsuccessful, losing five more in the attempt. Another five soldiers and five civilians were wounded in the attacks. Israel responded with massive airstrikes and artillery fire on targets in Lebanon,[20] which damaged Lebanese civilian infrastructure, including Rafik Hariri International Airport which Israel said Hezbollah used to import weapons,[19] an air and naval blockade,[21] and a ground invasion of southern Lebanon. Hezbollah then launched more rockets into northern Israel and engaged the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in guerrilla warfare from hardened positions.[22]

The conflict killed over 1,400 people, most of whom were Lebanese civilians,[13] severely damaged Lebanese infrastructure, displaced nearly 975,000 Lebanese[12] and 300,000 Israelis[23][24] and disrupted normal life across all of Lebanon and northern Israel. Even after the ceasefire, much of Southern Lebanon remained uninhabitable due to unexploded cluster bombs. As of 1 December 2006, an estimated 200,000 Lebanese remained internally displaced or refugees.[12]

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, called for disarmament of Hezbollah, for withdrawal of Israel from Lebanon, 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.[25] On 1 October, 2006, most Israeli troops withdrew from Lebanon,[26] though the last of the troops continued to occupy the border-straddling village of Ghajar[27] until 3 December 2006.[28] In the time since the enactment of UNSCR 1701 both the Lebanese government and UNIFIL have stated that they will not disarm Hezbollah.[29] [30] [31]

Background

Main article: Israel-Lebanon conflict

Prior to the conflict, Lebanon had long failed to control militancy within its borders, and Israel had a history of using force in Lebanon in response to militant attacks. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) had committed cross-border attacks from southern Lebanon into Israel as far back as 1968, and 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 borderland buffer zone in southern Lebanon, held with the aid of proxy militants in the South Lebanon Army (SLA). In 1985, a Lebanese Shi'a militia calling itself Hezbollah declared an 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 disputed Shebaa farms region 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.

Beginning of conflict

Main article: Zar'it-Shtula incident
See also: Timeline of the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict

At around 9:00 AM local time (06:00 UTC) on 12 July 2006, Hezbollah launched diversionary rocket attacks toward Israeli military positions near the coast and near the border village of Zar'it[32] as well as on the Israeli town of Shlomi and other villages.[33] At the same time, a Hezbollah ground contingent 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 (Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev).[32][34] Five more Israeli soldiers were killed later on the Lebanese side of the border during an unsuccessful 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 whom 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.[35][36] Nasrallah claimed that Israel had broken a previous deal to release these prisoners, and since diplomacy having failed, violence was the only remaining option.[35] 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." [37]

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert described the capture of the soldiers as an "act of war" by the sovereign country of Lebanon,[38][39] stating that "Lebanon will bear the consequences of its actions"[40] and promising a "very painful and far-reaching response."[41] Israel 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.[42] In response, Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora denied any knowledge of the raid and stated that he did not condone it.[43][44] An emergency meeting of the Lebanese government reaffirmed this position.[45]

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.[46] 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.[47]

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."[48]

Israeli action

Main article: Military operations of the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
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, its Navy fired 2,500 shells, and its Army fired over 100,000 shells.[49]. Large parts of the Lebanese civilian infrastructure were destroyed, including 400 miles of roads, 73 bridges, and 31 other 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, and 15,000 homes. Some 130,000 more homes were damaged.[50] [51] [52] [53]

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.[54]

Areas in Lebanon targetted by Israeli bombing, 12 July to 13 August 2006.

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.[55] Israel subsequently imposed an air and sea blockade on Lebanon, and bombed the main Beirut – Damascus highway.[55]
  • On 14 July 2006 the IDF bombed Nasrallah's offices in Beirut.[56]Nasrallah addressed Israel, saying “You wanted an open war, and we are heading for an open war. We are ready for it.”[57]
  • 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.[58]
  • 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.[59] Described as a nondeliberate attack by Israel, the post was shelled for hours before being bombed. UN forces made repeated calls[60] 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.
See also: Attacks on United Nations personnel during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
Satellite photographs of the Haret Hreik a Hezbollah dominated neighborhood [Dahieh district] of southern Beirut, Lebanon, before and after 22 July 2006. The neighborhood is home to Hezbollah's headquarters. See also high resolution photographs before and after.

Hezbollah action

Main article: Military operations of the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
See also: Timeline of Military Operations in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
See also: Hezbollah rocket force
Map showing some of the Israeli localities attacked by rockets fired from Lebanese soil as of Monday 7 August.

During the campaign Hezbollah fired between 3,970 and 4,228 rockets. About 95% of these were 122 mm (4.8 in) Katyusha artillery rockets, which carried warheads up to 30 kg (66 lb) and had a range of up to 30 km (19 mi).[54][69] An estimated 23% of these rockets hit built-up areas, primarily civilian in nature.[70][54][49] 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.[71][72][73] Hezbollah also engaged in guerrilla warfare with the IDF, attacking from well-fortified positions. These attacks by small, well-armed units caused serious problems for the IDF, especially through the use hundreds of sophisticated Russian-made anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs). 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. [49]

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.[74]. Israeli newspaper Haaretz described Hezbollah as a trained, skilled, well-organized, and highly motivated infantry that was equipped with the cream of modern weaponry from the arsenals of Syria, Iran, Russia, and China.[75] 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.[76][77][78]

File:Haifa apartment building after attack July 17 2006.jpg
A Haifa street following rocket attack 17 July 2006

Timeline

  • On 13 July 2006 in response to Israel's retaliatory attacks in which civilians were killed, 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 what was believed to be 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.[79][80]
  • On 18 July 2006 Hezbollah hit a hospital in Safed in northern Galilee, wounding eight.[81]
  • 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.[61]
  • On 3 August 2006 Nasrallah warned Israel against hitting Beirut and promised retaliation against Tel Aviv in this case. [82] He also stated that Hezbollah would stop its rocket campaign if Israel ceased aerial and artillery strikes of Lebanese towns and villages.[83]
  • On 4 August 2006 Israel targetted the southern outskirts of Beirut, and later in the day, Hezbollah launched rockets at the Hadera region.[84]
  • 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.[85] Hezbollah claimed the helicopter had been attacked with a Wa'ad missile.[86]

Position of Lebanon

Main article: Position of Lebanon in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
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.[44]

On 14 July 2006 the Prime Minister's office issued a statement that called on U.S. 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.[citation needed] In a televised speech the next day, Siniora called for "an immediate ceasefire backed by the United Nations".[87] A U.S.-France draft resolution that was influenced by the Lebanese Siniora Plan and which contained provisions for Israeli withdrawal, military actions, and mutual prisoner release was rejected as inadequate. Many Lebanese accused the U.S. 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 U.S. would support Lebanon, while 87% supported Hezbollah's fight against Israel.[88] After the attack on Qana, Siniora snubbed U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice by cancelling a meeting with her and thanked Hezbollah for its "sacrifices for the independence and sovereignty of Lebanon."[89] 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. [90]

Targeting of civilian areas

Main article: Targeting of civilian areas in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
File:Tyre Mass Graves (PBS NewsHour).png
Mass graves for civilians following Israeli airstrikes in Tyre, Lebanon, 21 July 2006. The half-length coffins are for children. Lebanese sources said one third of the Lebanese civilian casualties of the war were children under 13 years of age.
A car in Haifa following rocket attack 17 July 2006 showing result of anti personnel shrapnel. 44 civilians were killed and more than 1,350 Israeli civilians were injured in such attacks.

One of its most controversial aspects of the conflict has been the high number of civilian deaths. The vast majority of casualties were civilians: around 1,056 Lebanese civilians (although an Israeli research group report suggests that up to 650 of these were Hezbollah fighters[8]) and 44 Israeli civilians.[91][92] Almost one third of the Lebanese civilian casualties were children under 13 years of age. [93] [94]

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."[95] Israel says that it only attacked buildings and infrastructure used by Hezbollah to launch rockets or receive re-supply from Iran and Syria.[96][97]

Hezbollah also fired hundreds of rockets, sometimes more than 200 per day, throughout the conflict. These landed in all major cities of northern Israel, including Haifa, Nazareth, and Tiberias, as well as dozens of kibbutzim, moshavim, Druze, and Arab villages,[98][71][99] 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 targetted Lebanon's infrastructure."[100]

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,[101][102] and published a report suggesting that the attacks on civilian property were a deliberate part of the Israeli military strategy, rather than collateral damage.[103] 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.[104] Hezbollah was also criticized by Human Rights Watch for filling its rockets with ball bearings, which "suggests a desire to maximize harm to civilians";[105][106][107] the U.N has criticised Israel for it's use of cluster munitions and disproportionate attacks.[108] Both sides have been accused of violations of international law and war crimes.[108]

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.[109][110] Moreover, the IDF said that Hezbollah had blocked village exits to prevent residents from leaving the warzone.[111] The Association for Civil Rights in Israel points to Israeli attacks on roads, bridges and vehicles transporting refugees as preventing civilian evacuation.[112]

In response to some of this criticism, Israel has stated that it did, wherever possible, attempt to distinguish between protected persons and combatents, but that due to Hezbollah militants being in civilian clothing (thus committing the war crime of perfidy) this was not always possible. It also defends itself from allegations of disproportionality on the grounds that Hezbollah's use of roads and bridges for military purposes made them legitimate targets, and that since bombs were targetted at military targets, collateral damage does not make it disproportionate ex post facto, and that unfortunate incidents (such as the hitting of the UNIFIL observer post whilst targeting a Hezbollah post nearby) are not illegal under international law due to their being inadvertant.[113]

Environmental damage

See also: Jiyeh power station oil spill
Image from space, Jiyyeh oil slick in darkest blue; picture centered on Beirut. August 10, 2006
File:Israeli Forest Fire (2006).png
A forest fire in Israel caused by Hezbollah rockets in mid July.

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 an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 tonnes (more than 4 million gallons) of oil into the eastern Mediterranean Sea[114][115] A 10 km (6 mi) wide oil slick covered 170 km (105 statute miles) of coastline at one point,[116][117] and threatened Turkey and Cyprus. The slick reportedly killed fish, including northern bluefin tuna, which were already nearing extinction in the Mediterranean, and threatened the habitat of the endangered green sea turtle.[118] It also potentially increased the risk of cancer in humans. An additional 25,000 tons of oil burned at the power station, creating a "toxic cloud" that rained oil downwind.[115] 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.[119]

Hezbollah rocket attacks caused numerous forest fires inside northern Israel, particularly on the Naftali mountain range near Kiryat Shmona.[120] 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 lost nearly 75% of its trees.[121] The Jewish National Fund estimated that it would take 50 to 60 years to rehabilitate the forests.[122]

International action and reaction

A Lebanese protest in Sydney
Main article: International reactions to the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
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.[123] Governments of the United States,[124] United Kingdom, Germany[125]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.[126]

Among neighboring Middle Eastern nations, Iran, Syria, and Yemen voiced strong support for Hezbollah, while the Arab League issued statements condemning Israel’s response[127] and criticizing Hezbollah’s action.[128]

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 petitions also occurred.[129][130]

Various foreign governments assisted the evacuation of their citizens from Lebanon.[131]

Ceasefire

See also: Ceasefire attempts during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict

Terms for a ceasefire had been drawn and revised several times over the course of the conflict, yet successful agreement between the two sides took several weeks. Hezbollah maintained the desire for an unconditional ceasefire,[132] while Israel insisted upon a conditional ceasefire, including the return of the two kidnapped soldiers.[133] Lebanon frequently pled for the United Nations Security Council to call for an immediate, unconditional ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

On 11 August 2006 the United Nations Security Council unanimously approved UN Security Council Resolution 1701, in an effort to end the hostilities. It was accepted by the Lebanese government and Hezbollah on 12 August 2006, and by the Israeli government on 13 August 2006. The ceasefire took effect at 8:00 AM (5:00 AM GMT) on 14 August 2006. [134]

Before the ceasefire, the two Hezbollah members of cabinet said that their militia would not disarm south of the Litani River, according to another senior member of the Lebanese cabinet,[135] while a top Hezbollah official similarly denied any intention of disarming in the south. Israel said it would stop withdrawing from Southern Lebanon if Lebanese troops were not deployed there within a matter of days.[136]

Reviews of the conflict

File:Economist Cover 20060819.jpg
The Economist magazine cover declaring Hezbollah de facto winners of the war.[137]
George W. Bush declared that Hezbollah lost the war and that "There's going to be a new power in the south of Lebanon" [138]

Following the UN-brokered ceasefire, there were mixed responses on who had gained most in the war. Iran and Syria proclaimed a victory for Hezbollah[139] while the Israeli and United States administrations declared that Hezbollah lost the conflict. Initially, in a poll by an Israeli radio station, Israelis were split on the outcome with the majority believing that no one won.[140] By 25 August, 63% of Israelis polled wanted Olmert to resign due to his handling of the war.[141] The Economist concluded that by surviving this asymmetrical military conflict with Israel, Hezbollah effectively emerged with a military and political victory from this conflict.[142] They cite the facts that Hezbollah was able to sustain defenses on Lebanese soil and inflict unmitigated rocket attacks on Israeli civilians in the face of a punishing air and land campaign by the IDF. Also, Israel's stated goals entering the conflict were to retrieve its two captured soldiers and destroy the military capability of Hezbollah - neither goal was accomplished.[143] Hezbollah is leading the rebuilding effort in south Beirut and Lebanon using "unlimited" support from Iran, thereby awarding Hezbollah further political clout.[144] However, given the response from Israeli military forces, which caused widespread destruction in southern Lebanon, as well as a new UN force to occupy what was formerly a Hezbollah controlled area, the conflict is generally seen as weakening Hezbollah militarily. On 27 August, Hassan Nasrallah apologised to the Lebanese people for the incident that sparked the war, saying "Had we known that the kidnapping of the soldiers would have led to this, we would definitely not have done it." This was the day before UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's visit to Lebanon, [145] On 22 September, some eight hundred thousand Hezbollah supporters[146][147] gathered in Beirut[148] for victory rally.[149] Nasrallah said that Hezbollah should celebrate the "divine and strategic victory."[150]

Israeli Prime Minister Olmert admitted to the Knesset that there were mistakes in the war in Lebanon,[151] though he framed UN Security Council resolution 1701 as an accomplishment for Israel that would bring home the kidnapped soldiers, and said that the operations had altered the regional strategic balance vis-à-vis Hezbollah.[152] Israeli chief of staff Dan Halutz admitted to failings in the conflict.[153] On 15 August, Israeli government and defense officials called for Halutz' resignation following a stock scandal in which he admitted selling stocks hours before the start of the Israeli offensive. [154]

On 21 August, a group of demobilized Israel reserve soldiers and parents of soldiers killed in the fighting started a movement calling for the resignation of Ehud Olmert and the establishment of a state commission of inquiry. They set up a protest tent opposite the Knesset and grew to over 2,000 supporters by 25 August [155], including the influential Movement for Quality Government. [156][155] On 28 August, Olmert announced that there would be no independent state or governmental commission of inquiry, but two internal inspection probes, one to investigate the political echelon and one to examine IDF, and likely a third commission to examine the Home Front, to be announced at a later date. These would have a more limited mandate and less authority than a single inquiry commission headed by a retired judge.[157] The political and military committees were to be headed by former director of Mossad Nahum Admoni and former Chief of Staff Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, respectively. Critics argued that these committees amount to a whitewash, due to their limited authority, limited investigatory scope, their self-appointed basis, and that neither would be headed by a retired judge.[158]

Due to these pressures, on 11 October, Admoni was replaced by retired justice Eliyahu Winograd as chair of the political probe, and the probe itself was elevated to the status of governmental commission with near-state commission mandate: the Winograd Commission. On 12 September, former defense minister Moshe Arens spoke of "the defeat of Israel" in calling for a state committee of inquiry. He said that Israel had lost "to a very small group of people, 5000 Hezbollah fighters, which should have been no match at all for the IDF," and stated that the conflict could have "some very fateful consequences for the future." Disclosing his intent to shortly resign, Ilan Harari, the IDF's chief education officer, stated at a conference of senior IDF officers that Israel lost the war, becoming the first senior active duty officer to publicly state such an opinion.[159] IDF Major General Yiftah Ron Tal, on Oct 4, 2006 became the second and highest ranking serving officer to express his opinion that the IDF failed "to win the day in the battle against Hezbollah," as well as calling for Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz' resignation.[160] Ron-Tal was subsequently fired for making those and other critical comments.[161]

US President George W. Bush questioned Hezbollah's declarations of victory "when at one time [they] were a state within a state, safe within southern Lebanon, and now [they're] going to be replaced by a Lebanese army and an international force."[162] UNIFIL has been given an expanded mandate, including the ability to use force to ensure that their area of operations is not used for hostile activities, and to resist attempts by force to prevent them from discharging their duties.[163]

The fighting resulted in a huge financial setback for Lebanon, with estimates ranging from US$7 to US$15 billion[164] in direct costs while the cost for Israel is put at US$1.6 - US$3 billion.[165] This has prompted a commentator in the London-based Arabic newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat to question the claims of victory by Hezbollah.[166] According to one analyst in the Associated Press, the main casualty was the fragile unity between Lebanon's sectarian and political groups,[167] though an Asia Times piece points to Free Patriotic Movement head Michel Aoun's support for Hezbollah and provision of housing for displaced Shi'a as evidence for strengthened relations.

Media controversy

Main article: 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict photographs controversies
See also: Adnan Hajj photographs controversy

Several media commentators and journalists have alleged an intentionally distorted coverage of the events, in favour of Hezbollah, by means of photo manipulation, staging by Hezbollah or by journalists, and false or misleading captioning.[168]

On 18 July 2006 Hezbollah Press Officer Hussein Nabulsi took CNN's Nic Robertson on an exclusive tour of southern Beirut. Robertson noted that despite his minder's anxiety about explosions in the area, it was clear that Hezbollah had sophisticated media relations and were in control of the situation. Hezbollah designated the places that they went to, and the journalists "certainly didn't have time to go into the houses or lift up the rubble to see what was underneath." According to his reports, there was no doubt that the bombs were hitting Hezbollah facilities, and while there appeared to be "a lot of civilian damage, a lot of civilian properties," he reiterated that he couldn't verify the civilian nature of the destroyed buildings.[169]

CNN's Charlie Moore described a Hezbollah press tour of a bombed-out area in southern Beirut on 23 July 2006 as a "dog-and-pony show" due to perceived staging, misrepresentation of the nature of the destroyed areas, and strict directives about when and with whom interviews could take place.[170]

In the same interview aired on 23 July 2006, CNN's John Roberts, who was reporting from an Israeli artillery battery on the Lebanese border, stated that he had to take everything he was told — either by the IDF or Hezbollah — "with a grain of salt," citing mutual recriminations of civilian targeting which he was unable to verify independently.[171]

Reuters withdrew over 900 photographs by Adnan Hajj, a Lebanese freelance photographer, after he admitted to digitally adding and darkening smoke spirals in photographs of an attack on Beirut.[172]

Photographs submitted to Reuters and Associated Press showed one Lebanese woman mourning on two different pictures taken by two photographers, allegedly taken two weeks apart. [173] While it is "common practice to send more than one photographer to an incident", [174] questions remained as to whether the images were wrongly captioned or deliberately staged.

Post-ceasefire events

  • On 14 August 2006, hours after the beginning of the ceasefire, about four mortars were fired inside southern Lebanon. An Israeli military spokesman said that Israel would not respond to their firing. On that day four more incidents were recorded when armed Hezbollah members said to have approached Israeli positions were killed.[175]
  • On 15 August 2006 "Israeli soldiers opened fire when four Hezbollah fighters came toward them," three of the Hezbollah fighters were killed.[176] The same day, about 10 rockets were fired by Hezbollah inside southern Lebanon. Israel reiterated it wouldn't respond since the rockets did not cross border. [177]
  • On 18 August 2006 Lebanese police sources reported that Israeli Defense Force warplanes launched four missiles toward targets in the eastern Lebanese town of Baalbek. Israeli sources acknowledge that its air force performs sorties over Lebanese territory, but denied breaking the ceasefire. Lebanese officials later contradicted the police sources stating that no missiles were fired by the Israeli planes.[178] The Associated Press reported that Hezbollah had fired at least 10 Katyusha rockets into southern Lebanon. The IDF stated that as none had crossed the border and there were no casualties, they did not respond. Earlier, skirmishes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah left six guerrillas dead.[179] UNIFIL also reported that the IDF fired a tank shell at the Lebanese village of Markaba but that there was no response from the other side.[180]
  • On 19 August 2006 Israel launched a raid in Lebanon's eastern Beqaa Valley it says was aimed to disrupt weapons supplies to Hezbollah from Syria and Iran.[181] Lebanese officials "said the Israelis were apparently seeking a guerrilla target in a school."[182] One Israeli soldier was killed, another mortally wounded, while 3 Hezbollah fighters were wounded. Hezbollah said it wouldn't respond to the attack. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he was "deeply concerned" about an Israeli commando raid in eastern Lebanon Saturday, calling it a violation of a U.N.-backed ceasefire. The statement also cites UNIFIL troops as saying there have "also been several air violations by Israeli military aircraft."[183] Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev told the Associated Press that “[t]he cease-fire is based on (U.N. resolution) 1701 which calls for an international arms embargo against Hezbollah.”[181] Regev was referring to article 8 of the resolution which calls for an end to all weapons transfers to Hezbollah.
  • On 27 August 2006 UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said that U.N. troops would not intercept Syrian arms shipments to Hezbollah unless requested to do so by the Lebanese Government.[184]
  • On 29 August 2006 UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said that Israel had committed most of the truce violations and described Israel's continuing embargo as "a humiliation and an infringement on Lebanese sovereignty."[185] Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert reiterated Israel's willingness to lift the blockade after full implementation of the U.N.-brokered cease fire.[186]
  • On 6 September 2006 the Israeli government announced that it would lift the blockade the following day at 6:00 PM local time (3:00 PM GMT).[187]
  • On 7 September 2006 the aviation blockade was lifted.
  • On 8 September 2006 the naval blockade was lifted.[188]
  • On 21 September 2006 Hezbollah supporters threw stones over the border fence at Israeli patrols in Israel, seen as part of Hezbollah redeployments[189]
  • On 22 September 2006 Nasrallah claimed in a victory rally that Hezbollah possessed over 20,000 rockets and that it was stronger than before 12 July. According to various estimates, the organisation had fewer than 20,000 rockets before and fired about 4,000 rockets during the conflict.[190]
  • On 1 October 2006, the Israeli army reported that it had completed its withdrawal.[191] The UN has said Israel has withdrawn the bulk of its troops from Lebanon, fulfilling a key condition of the UN ceasefire ending war with Hezbollah, but that some Israeli troops remained in Ghajar. The IDF confirmed its forces were still operating near Ghajar, a village split in two by the border.[192] Because of the volatile nature of the place, Israel says it will maintain a presence in Ghajar until a security agreement is reached with the UN and the Lebanese army.[193]
  • On 3 October, 2006, Israeli jets conducted mock air raids over Nabatiyeh, Khiam, and Marjayoun in Southern Lebanon, and later over the Iqlim al-Tuffah region and Western Bekaa Valley.[194][195][196]
  • On 22 October, Israel admitted to using white phosphorus in Lebanon. [197] Although Israel continues to deny the use of phosphorus on civilians, doctors in southern Lebanon have suspected some injuries were caused by contact with the chemical. [198]
  • On 23 October, Lebanese police reported the "most intensive [Israeli] overflights" of Lebanon after the ceasefire. Two jets flew low over Beirut, while four more aircraft conducted sonic boom raid in Tyre.[199][200] France, who leads UNIFIL troops, called the continuing overflights "extremely dangerous."[201]
  • On 24 October, six Israeli F-16's flew over a German vessel patrolling off Israel's coast just south of the Lebanese border. The German Defence Ministry said that the planes had given off infrared decoys and one of the aircraft had fired two shots into the air, which had not been specifically aimed. The Israeli military said that a German helicopter took off from the vessel without having coordinated this with Israel, and denied vehemently having fired any shots at the vessel and said "as of now" it also had no knowledge of the jets launching flares over it. Israeli Defence Minister Amir Peretz telephoned his German counterpart Franz Josef Jung to clarify that 'Israel has no intention to carry out any aggressive actions' against the German peacekeeping forces in Lebanon, who are there as part of UNIFIL to enforce an arms embargo against Hezbollah. Germany confirmed the consultations, and that both sides were interested in maintaining good cooperation.[202][203][204]
  • On 31 October, 2006, eight Israeli F-15s flew over many areas of Lebanon, including Beirut.[205][206] The IAF jets also flew over a French peacekeeper position in Lebanon. According to the French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie, the planes came in at what was interpreted as an attack position, and the peacekeepers were "seconds away" from firing at the jets.[207]
  • On 1 December, 2006, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan submitted a report to the Security Council president maintaining "there were no serious incidents or confrontations" since the cease-fire in August 2006. He did, however, note that peacekeepers reported air violations by Israel "almost on a daily basis," which Israel maintained were a security measure related to continuing Syrian and Iranian arms shipments to Hezbollah, and evidence of the presence of unauthorized armed personnel, assets, and weapons in Lebanon. In one case, a UNIFIL demining team was challenged by two Hezbollah members in combat uniforms armed with AK-47 rifles. UNIFIL notified the Lebanese army, who arrested three suspects the next day. There were also "13 instances where UNIFIL came across unauthorized arms or related material in its area of operation", including the discovery of 17 katyusha rockets and several improvised explosive devices in Rachaiya El-Foukhar, and the discovery of a weapons cache containing seven missiles, three rocket launchers, and a substantial amount of ammunition in the area of Bourhoz.[208][209] Annan also reported that as of November 20, 2006, 822 cluster bomb strike sites had been recorded,[209] with 60,000 cluster bomblets having been cleared by the UN Mine Action Coordination Center.[210]

See also

References

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  135. ^ "U.N.: Cease-fire begins Monday". CNN. 12 August 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  136. ^ "Israel to halt pullout unless Lebanon army deploys". Reuters. 16 August 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-16. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  137. ^ "Hizbullah's shallow victory". The Economist. 19 August 2006. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  138. ^ http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_4180464
  139. ^ Syria and Iran claim victory over West
  140. ^ "With guns silent, wartime unity unravels in Israel". International Herald Tribune. 18/08/2006. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  141. ^ Israeli war protests echo 1973
  142. ^ "Hizbullah's shallow victory". The Economist. 19 August 2006. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  143. ^ "Israeli MPs urge full war inquiry". BBC News. 2006-09-05. Retrieved 2006-09-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  144. ^ "Hezbollah Leads Work to Rebuild, Gaining Stature". The New York Times. 16 August 2006. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  145. ^ "Nasrallah sorry for scale of war". BBC News. 27 August2006. Retrieved 2006-08-27. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  146. ^ http://multimedia.repubblica.it/home/425272?ref=hpmm
  147. ^ http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/766373.html
  148. ^ http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/09/22/lebanon.rally/
  149. ^ Bassam, Laila (Sep 21, 2006). "Hizbollah backers gather for Lebanon "victory" rally". Reuters.
  150. ^ http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/09/22/lebanon.rally/
  151. ^ "Olmert: Mistakes made in Lebanon war". United Press International. 14 August 2006. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  152. ^ [3]
  153. ^ "Israel army chief admits failures". 24 August 2006. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  154. ^ "Stocks scandal spells doom of embattled Israeli army chief". Agence France-Presse. 16 August 2006. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  155. ^ a b "Yoman", Israel Broadcasting Authority, 25 August 2006 Template:He icon
  156. ^ "Hundreds support protesting reservists", Ynetnews, 24 August 2006
  157. ^ "Olmert: An inquiry commission will not be formed, we do not have the luxury to submerge in investigating the past", Haaretz, 28 August 2006 Template:He icon
  158. ^ "Mabat", Israel Broadcasting Authority, 28 August 2006 Template:He icon
  159. ^ "Halutz disputes officer's remarks that Israel lost war". Haaretz. 2006-09-22. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  160. ^ [4]
  161. ^ Peretz backs Halutz on dismissal of Major General Yiftah Ron-Tal, Haaretz
  162. ^ http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/08/20060814-3.html
  163. ^ "Lebanon: UN peacekeepers lay out rules of engagement, including use of force". UN News Centre. 2006-10-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  164. ^ West Asia war by numbers
  165. ^ Bloomberg
  166. ^ Between Victory and Defeat
  167. ^ Lebanon's fragile unity shatters - Kuwaittimes.net
  168. ^ Media Missiles
  169. ^ "CNN RELIABLE SOURCES (transcript)". CNN. 2006-07-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  170. ^ "Our very strange day with Hezbollah". CNN. 2006-07-23. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  171. ^ "CNN RELIABLE SOURCES, Coverage of Mideast Conflict". CNN. 2006-07-23. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  172. ^ Reuters withdraws all photos by Lebanese freelance, Reuters
  173. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/2006/08/trusting_photos.html
  174. ^ http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2006/08/reuters_adnan_h.html
  175. ^ "IDF: Hours after cease-fire, 4 clashes between Hezbollah and Israeli troops; 4 Hezbollah fighters killed". CNN.com. 14 August 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  176. ^ "IDF: Israeli soldiers kill 3 Hezbollah fighters". CNN.com. 15 August 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  177. ^ [5]
  178. ^ Janelle, Chantelle (18 August 2006). "Israel flies over Lebanon, but no airstrikes". WIS-TV. Retrieved 2006-08-21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  179. ^ Hurst, Stephen R. (15 August2006). "Rockets hit Lebanon despite cease-fire". Associated Press. Retrieved 2006-08-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  180. ^ Four Hezbollah fighters killed in ceasefire breaches: UN - Agence France-Presse (via Yahoo!). 16 August 2006
  181. ^ a b "Israel: Raid targets weapons transfer". CNN. 19 August 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  182. ^ "Israeli Commando Dies in Lebanon Raid". The Associated Press. 19 August 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-27. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  183. ^ Morales, Alex (20 August 2006). "Kofi Annan declares Israeli raid violation of ceasefire". CNN. Retrieved 2006-08-21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  184. ^ "UN will not stop Syria sending weapons to Lebanon". The Daily Telegraph. 27 August 2006. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  185. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5296314.stm
  186. ^ http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060831/ap_on_re_mi_ea/mideast
  187. ^ Israel to lift Lebanon blockade
  188. ^ Dakroub, Hussein (9 September 2006). "Israel ends naval blockade of Lebanon". Toronto Star/AP. Retrieved 2006-09-09.
  189. ^ Ynet report, Yahoo news, Haaretz report
  190. ^ We still have 20,000 rockets, says Nasrallah, The Guardian
  191. ^ AFP - Israel pulls remaining troops out of Lebanon
  192. ^ UN peacekeepers: Israeli troops still in Lebanon, CNN
  193. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5396966.stm
  194. ^ Israel violates Lebanese airspace, launches mock raids
  195. ^ Israeli warplanes violate Lebanese airspace again
  196. ^ "Israel To Continue Lebanon Overflights". All Headline News. October 4, 2006. Retrieved 2006-10-06.
  197. ^ Israel admits phosphorous shell use
  198. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6075408.stm
  199. ^ "Israel jets fly over Lebanon despite French appeal". Reuters. 2006-10-23. Retrieved 25 October. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  200. ^ Israel continues overflights of Lebanon. Al Jazeera
  201. ^ France calls IAF overflights in Lebanon 'extremely dangerous', Haaretz.
  202. ^ "Germany, Israel confirm naval vessel-planes incident". Telugu Portal. 200628 October. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  203. ^ "Germany, Israel confirm naval vessel-planes incident". Middle East News. 200628 October. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  204. ^ "Israel denies firing shots at German ship". Ynetnews. 200628 October. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  205. ^ Israeli jets fly low over Beirut, BBC
  206. ^ Israeli warplanes fly low over Beirut, suburbs, Reuters
  207. ^ IDF checking French claim its UN troops almost fired at IAF jets, AP in Haaretz
  208. ^ Annan: Israel's actions compromise efforts to stabilize the Israeli-Lebanon border
  209. ^ a b Ynet News (December 2, 2006). "Annan finds 13 incidents of illicit arms in Lebanon". Retrieved December 8, 2006.
  210. ^ The Daily Star (December 4, 2006). "UN secretary general's update to the Security Council on Resolution 1701". Retrieved December 8, 2006.
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