The militant Hamas group calls off its truce with Israel after seven civilians are killed in the Gaza Strip. More than seventy Qassam rockets were launched at Israeli towns by Hamas militants since Friday morning, wounding Palestenian and Israeli civilians alike. (Globe and Mail), (Haaretz)
Eight Palestinian militants, including Hamas militants, infiltrate into an army post in Israel using a tunnel. Two Israeli soldiers are killed, one taken prisoner and three wounded in the attack, in which at least two Palestinian militants die. Israeli PM vows a fierce military response to the attack once the soldier, Gilad Shalit, is returned. Two infantry brigades and supporting armoured regiments are deployed along the Gaza Strip border, in preparation for a major offensive.(Haaretz),(Reuters UK),(BBC)
Hezbollah's military wing staged a cross-border attack from Lebanon on two Israeli Humvees, as well as rocket and mortar attacks on northern Israel. Three Israeli soldiers were killed and two were taken prisoner, with several civilians injured. "Fulfilling its pledge to liberate the Arab prisoners and detainees, the Islamic Resistance... captured two Israeli soldiers (Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev) at the border with occupied Palestine," Hezbollah said in a statement.[2]
In attempt to pursue the Hezbollah force and release the captured soldiers, an Israeli Merkava Mark II tank is hit by a 200-300 kilogram mine. All 4 crew members are killed.[2]
In attempt to recover the bodies of the soldiers from the burnt tank, another Israeli soldier is hit by Hezbollah fire and killed.
Israeli navy gunships bombarded an electric power station on the coast at Jiyeh, about 25km south of Beirut.[3]
Hezbollah
Hezbollah bombarded the Israeli towns of Nahariya and Safed, as well as villages nearby, with 9K51 Grad rockets. The attacks killed two civilians and wounded 29 more.[4]
Fired two Iranian built C-802 Cruise Missiles of Chinese design - one damages an Israeli Sa'ar 5-class missile boat killing four crew members. The other missile damages a civilian vessel of Egyptian registry. It is later debated whether Hezbollah or Iranian military personnel fired the cruise missiles.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, warned Israel of a "fierce response" if it attacks Syria.
Syria
The ruling party in Syria, Baath, said that Syria fully backs Hezbollah against the "barbaric Israeli aggression".
IDF
Bombs the airport road in the south of the capital, Beirut.
Drops leaflets warning residents to stay away from the Hezbollah offices in southern Beirut, where Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah is thought to live.
Attacked the al-Manar television station. A broadcast tower was destroyed and three people were injured, but the station continued its broadcasts.
Warships set up a blockade, preventing cruise ships from docking in Beirut and cutting off the delivery of fuel used to operate Lebanese power plants.
Airstrikes and artillery shelling of hundreds of targets in Lebanon.
Strikes the Beirut airport, where helicopter gunships damaged runways and destroyed fuel tanks.
Israel
Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert outlined three conditions for the Israeli operation to end: full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559 calling for the disarming of Hezbollah, an end to rocket attacks from Lebanon on Israeli towns, and the return of the two abducted soldiers.[5][6][7]
Warships bombard Beirut's lighthouse and four ports.[8]
Air force fired a missile at a van in southern Lebanon, killing 20 people, among them 15 children.[9]
Raids on north, east and south Lebanon killed 15 people and wounded 37.
Lebanon's main commercial ports of Beirut and Tripoli were attacked, as well as ports in the Christian towns of Jounieh and Amsheet.
One Lebanese soldier was killed when an army radar station was hit in Batroun north of Beirut.
Warplanes flattened Hezbollah's nine-story headquarters and destroyed the office of a Hamas leader, Mohammed Nazzal. Nazzal survived the attack.
Hezbollah
Fires 20 rockets into Haifa killing 8 and wounding 20. 10 rockets also fired into Tiberius for the first time, forcing many displaced Israeli civilians who came to the city for shelter from northern cities farther south.
Nazareth and Afula are hit by Hezbollah rockets, reaching the deepest of all rockets fired by the militant group.[10]
IDF
45 people killed and more than 100 wounded in various air strikes in southern Lebanon around the border town of Aitaroun. Among the dead were seven Canadians, with six other Canadians critically wounded.[11]
Air attacks on Beirut's southern suburbs, continued through the day and evening. [12]
Air force bombs the Palestinian foreign ministry building in Gaza City and completely destroyed what remained of the building, damaging nearby homes. Several injuries were reported.[13]
Israeli air strikes targeted a Hezbollah stronghold in Lebanon, which killed 17 combatants. Hezbollah retaliated by firing away Katyusha rockets thirty-five miles south of the Lebanese border, which landed in the northern Israeli town of Atlit; although, there were no casualties reported.[14]
Some Israeli ground troops briefly entered into Lebanon, its southern portion, with the intent of completing a mission of attacking Hezbollah bases on the border.[15]
United Nations / United Kingdom
U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair urge an international stabilization force to the Mideast to stop the cross-border fighting.[16] Israel responds that it is too early to call for a UN force.[17]
Hezbollah
Three rounds of Hezbollah rockets struck the Israeli port city of Haifa, that wounded two people and partially destroyed a three-story building.[18]
Rockets were also reported to have hit the town of Atlit, 35 miles south of the border and 5 miles south of Haifa. No injuries were reported. [19]
Canadians gather in front of the Israeli consulate in Montreal to protest the Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon.[20]
United States
An estimated 10,000 demonstrators rallied outside the United Nations in New York City in support of Israel, with smaller crowds of anti-Israel protesters also present. [21]
Four IDF soldiers were killed and six others were wounded in heavy clashes with Hezbollah just inside south Lebanon, close to Moshav Avivim.[citation needed]
One soldier was killed and three soldiers were injured late night on July 20 when two Apache helicopters collided in northern Israel, near Kiryat Shmona.[26]
Hezbollah
Hezbollah fired mortar shells in the area in effort to disrupt the rescue of the wounded. The IDF believes that several Hezbollah guerillas were killed in the close-quarter confrontation.[citation needed]
Israel calls up several reserve army battalions and drops leaflets over southern Lebanese villages warning civilians to leave the area.[27]
Brigadier-General Alon Friedman, who is in charge of Israeli army operations in the north, said: "It's possible that in the coming days our ground operations will increase.[28]
The Israeli air force continues to hit targets around Lebanon. More than 300 Lebanese civilians have now been killed in the raids.[29]
Hezbollah
Hezbollah launch fewer rockets than on any day since the conflict began. Only 40 rockets reach Israel.[30]
Israeli ground troops move into the village of Maroun al-Ras in south Lebanon and take control. The Israeli army insists that incursions will be limited in scope despite the recall of thousands of reserve troops.[31]
Hezbollah
Hezbollah rockets again strike Haifa, wounding several Israelis.[32]
Israel continues its offensive by hitting communications targets in Lebanon, including a relay station used by several Lebanese television stations.[33]
Hezbollah fires at least 150 rockets hitting several cities and villages in northern Israel.[34]
17 people wounded Saturday as 160 Katyushas land in north; 4 people hurt in strike on Safed home. [35]
Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, describes the plight of Lebanon as part of the "birth pangs of a new Middle East" and says that Israel should ignore calls for a ceasefire.[38]
IAF airstrike of a three-story building in Qana, Southern Lebanon, kills 56 people, including 37 children, hiding in its bombshelter. [52] As a result, Israel announces its intention to severely restrict further airstrikes for a 48-hour period beginning 2 A.M. Monday, July 31.
Israel Air Force continues airstrikes in support of ground forces in southern Lebanon, but refrains from attacks elsewhere in accordance with its stated 48-hour period of restraint.
Hezbollah
Hezbollah also holds its fire, with "the Israeli Army counting only three mortar shells landing in Israel ... and no rockets." [54] at least three in Haifa, wounding six people.
After air strikes on the town of Baalbek, 100km into Lebanon, in which 11 people died, Israeli commandos landed by helicopters and fought a lengthy gun battle.
Eight civilians are killed by rocket attacks in Northern Israel and four IDF soldiers are killed in Southern Lebanon in what was refered to as "the deadliest day for Israel in its two-front war" [59]
^Brandon, James (2996-07-11). "Israelis in the mood for war". Aljazeera. Retrieved 2006-07-27. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
