2006 Lebanon War

For the First Lebanon War, see 1982 Lebanon War.
2006 Lebanon War
Part of the Israeli-Lebanese conflict and Arab-Israeli conflict
Date 12 July – 14 August 2006
Israeli blockade of Lebanon ended on 8 September 2006
Location Lebanon, northern Israel and the Golan Heights[1]
Result Both sides claim victory
  • Hezbollah victory according to Hezbollah, Syria, Iran, and groups sympathetic to Hezbollah[2][3][4]
  • Israeli military victory according to Israel, the United States and political parties opposed to Hezbollah[5][6][7]
  • Ceasefire 8:00 AM (5:00 AM GMT) on 14 August 2006, provisioned by UNSC Resolution 1701
  • UNIFIL and the Lebanese Army are introduced into South Lebanon.
Belligerents
 Israel Hezbollah
Amal[8]
SSNP
LCP[9]
PFLP-GC[10]
Commanders and leaders
Ehud Olmert
Amir Peretz
Dan Halutz
Moshe Kaplinsky[11]
Udi Adam
Eliezer Shkedi
David Ben Ba'ashat		 Hassan Nasrallah
Imad Mughniyeh
Nabih Berri
Ali Qanso
Khaled Hadadi
Ahmed Jibril
Strength
10,000 soldiers (30,000 soldiers in the last few days) (+ IAF & ISC)[12][13] 3,000 active fighters (5,000–10,000 in the last few days)
10,000 reservists[14][15]
Casualties and losses
Israel Defense Forces:

121 killed
(including 2 captured soldiers)
628 wounded[16]

 Hezbollah militia:

Dead:
250 (Hezbollah claim)[17]
≤500 (Lebanese officials' est.)[18]
500 (UN officials' est.)[19]
600 (IDF claim)[20]
Wounded:
1,500 (Lebanese officials' est.)[18]
Captured: 4 fighters[21]
Amal militia: 17 dead
LCP militia: 12 dead
PFLP-GC militia: 2 dead

Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps: ~6-9 dead (Lebanese officials' est.)[22][23]
Lebanese Army and Police Forces: 43 dead[8]
Israeli civilians:

44 dead[24][25]
33 seriously wounded
68 moderately wounded
1,388 lightly wounded[26]

Lebanese civilians:
1,191[27] dead
4,409 wounded[27]

Foreign civilians:
53 dead[28]
25 wounded

United Nations:
5 dead
12 wounded[29]
For total casualty figures, see: Casualties of the 2006 Lebanon War

The 2006 Lebanon War, also called the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War and known in Lebanon as the July War[30] (Arabic: حرب تموز‎, Ḥarb Tammūz) and in Israel as the Second Lebanon War (Hebrew: מלחמת לבנון השנייה‎, Milhemet Levanon HaShniya),[31] was a 34-day military conflict in Lebanon, northern Israel and the Golan Heights. 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 in the morning on 14 August 2006, though it formally ended on 8 September 2006 when Israel lifted its naval blockade of Lebanon.

The conflict began when militants from the group Hezbollah fired rockets at Israeli border towns as a diversion for an anti-tank missile attack on two armored Humvees patrolling the Israeli side of the border fence.[32] The ambush left three soldiers dead. Two additional soldiers, believed to have been killed outright or mortally wounded, were taken by Hezbollah to Lebanon.[32][33][34] Five more were killed in a failed rescue attempt. Israel responded with airstrikes and artillery fire on targets in Lebanon that damaged Lebanese civilian infrastructure, including Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport ,[35] an air and naval blockade,[36] 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.[37]

The conflict killed at least 1,200 people, mostly Lebanese citizens,[38][39][40] severely damaged Lebanese civil infrastructure, and displaced approximately one million Lebanese[41] and 300,000–500,000 Israelis.[26][42][43] After the ceasefire, some parts of southern Lebanon remained uninhabitable due to Israeli unexploded cluster bomblets.[44]

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) in the south. UNIFIL was given an expanded mandate, including the ability to use force to ensure that their area of operations wasn't used for hostile activities, and to resist attempts by force to prevent them from discharging their duties.[45] The Lebanese army began deploying in southern Lebanon on 17 August 2006. The blockade was lifted on 8 September 2006.[46] On 1 October 2006, most Israeli troops withdrew from Lebanon, though the last of the troops continued to occupy the border-straddling village of Ghajar.[47] In the time since the enactment of UNSCR 1701 both the Lebanese government and UNIFIL have stated that they will not disarm Hezbollah.[48][49][50] The remains of the two captured soldiers, whose fates were unknown, were returned to Israel on 16 July 2008 as part of a prisoner exchange.

Contents

Background

Main article: Israel-Lebanon conflict

Cross-border attacks from southern Lebanon into Israel by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) date as far back as 1968, and followed Israel's forceful occupation of additional Arab territory the previous year; the area became a significant base for attacks following the arrival of the PLO leadership and its Fatah brigade following their 1971 expulsion from Jordan. Starting about this time, increasing demographic tensions related to the Lebanese National Pact, which had divided governmental powers among religious groups throughout the country 30 years previously, began running high and led in part to the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990). Concurrently, Syria began a 29 year military occupation in 1976. Israel's 1978 invasion of Lebanon failed to stem the Palestinian attacks, but Israel invaded Lebanon again in 1982 and forcibly expelled the PLO.[51] Israel withdrew to a borderland buffer zone in southern Lebanon, held with the aid of proxy militants in the South Lebanon Army (SLA).[52] The invasion however, also led to the conception of a new Shi'a militant group, which in 1985, established itself politically under the name Hezbollah, and declared an armed struggle to end the Israeli occupation of Lebanese territory.[53][54] When the Lebanese civil war ended and other warring factions agreed to disarm, both Hezbollah and the SLA refused. Ten years later, Israel withdrew from South Lebanon to the UN-designated and internationally recognized Blue Line border in 2000.[55]

The withdrawal also led to the immediate collapse of the SLA, and Hezbollah took control of the area in rapid succession. Later citing continued Israeli control of the disputed Shebaa farms region and the internment of Lebanese prisoners in Israel, Hezbollah intensified its cross-border attacks, and used the tactic of seizing soldiers from Israel as leverage for a prisoner exchange in 2004.[56][57]

Abduction efforts in the year prior to conflict

In June 2005, an Israel Defense Forces paratroop unit operating near the Shebaa Farms engaged three Lebanese it identified as Hezbollah special force members, killing one. Videotapes recovered by the paratroopers contained footage of the three recording detailed accounts of the area. [58]

Over the following 12 months, Hezbollah made three unsuccessful attempts to abduct Israeli soldiers. On 21 November 2005, a number of Hezbollah special forces attempted to attack an Israeli outpost in Ghajar, a village straddling the border between Lebanon and the Golan Heights. The outpost had been deserted following an intelligence warning, and three of the Hezbollah militants were killed when Israeli sniper David Markovich shot a rocket-propelled grenade they were carrying, causing it to explode. From his sniper position, Markovich shot and killed a fourth gunman shortly thereafter.[58][59]

Beginning of conflict

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

At around 9 AM local time on 12 July 2006, Hezbollah launched diversionary rocket attacks toward Israeli military positions near the coast and near the border village of Zar'it[60] as well as on the Israeli town of Shlomi and other villages.[61] Five civilians were injured.[62] Six Israeli military positions were fired on, and the surveillance cameras knocked out.[63] At the same time, a Hezbollah ground contingent infiltrated the border into Israel through a "dead zone" in the border fence, hiding in an overgrown wadi. They attacked a patrol of two Israeli armoured Humvees patrolling the border near Zar'it, using pre-positioned explosives and anti-tank missiles, killing three soldiers, injuring two, and capturing two soldiers (Master Sergeant Ehud Goldwasser and First Sergeant Eldad Regev).[60][64] In response to the Hezbollah feint attacks, the IDF conducted a routine check of its positions and patrols, and found that contact with two jeeps was lost. A rescue force was immediately dispatched to the area, and confirmed that two soldiers were missing after 20 minutes. A Merkava Mk III tank, an Armored personnel carrier, and a helicopter were immediately dispatched into Lebanon. The tank hit a large land mine, killing its crew of four. Another soldier was killed and two lightly injured by mortar fire as they attempted to recover the bodies.[60][63]

Hezbollah named the attack "Operation Truthful Promise" after leader Hassan Nasrallah's public pledges over the prior year and a half to seize Israeli soldiers and swap them for four Lebanese held by Israel:

Nasrallah claimed that Israel had broken a previous deal to release these prisoners, and since diplomacy had failed, violence was the only remaining option.[65] 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."[67]

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert described the seizure of the soldiers as an "act of war" by the sovereign state of Lebanon,[68][69] stating that "Lebanon will bear the consequences of its actions"[70] and promising a "very painful and far-reaching response."[71] 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.[72] In response, Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora denied any knowledge of the raid and stated that he did not condone it.[73][74] An emergency meeting of the Lebanese government reaffirmed this position.[75]

The Israel Defense Forces attacked targets within Lebanon with artillery and airstrikes hours before the Israeli Cabinet met to discuss a response. The targets consisted of bridges and roads in Lebanon, which were hit to prevent Hezbollah from transporting the abductees. An Israeli airstrike also destroyed the runways of Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport.[76] 44 civilians were killed.[77] The Israeli Air Force also targeted Hezbollah’s long range rocket and missile stockpiles destroying most of them on the ground in the first days of the war.[78][79] A large portion were destroyed in the first 34 minutes.[63]

Later that same day (12 July 2006), the Cabinet decided to authorize the Prime Minister, the Defense Minister and their deputies to pursue the plan which they had proposed for action within Lebanon. Prime Minister Olmert's officially demanded that the Israel Defense Force avoid civilian casualties whenever possible.[80] Israel's chief of staff Dan Halutz said, "if the soldiers are not returned, we will turn Lebanon's clock back 20 years"[81] 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."[81] On 12 July 2006, the Israeli Cabinet promised that Israel would "respond aggressively and harshly to those who carried out, and are responsible for, today's action".[82] The Cabinet's communiqué stated, in part, that the "Lebanese Government [was] responsible for the action that originated on its soil."[82] 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.[83]

On 16 July, the Israeli Cabinet released a communiqué explaining that, although Israel had engaged in military operations within Lebanon, its war was not against the Lebanese government. The communiqué stated: "Israel is not fighting Lebanon but the terrorist element there, led by Nasrallah and his cohorts, who have made Lebanon a hostage and created Syrian- and Iranian-sponsored terrorist enclaves of murder."[84]

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."[85]

Hezbollah action

Main article: Military operations of the 2006 Lebanon War
See also: Timeline of Military Operations in the 2006 Lebanon War

During the campaign, the Hezbollah rocket force Hezbollah fired between 3,970 and 4,228 rockets at a rate of more than 100 per day, unprecedented since the Iran-Iraq war.[86][87] 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).[87][88] An estimated 23% of these rockets hit cities and built-up areas across northern Israel, while the remainder hit open areas.[86][87][89] Cities hit were Haifa, Hadera, Nazareth, Tiberias, Nahariya, Safed, Shaghur, Afula, Kiryat Shmona, Beit She'an, Karmiel, Acre, and Ma'alot-Tarshiha, as well as dozens of towns, kibbutzim, moshavim, and Druze and Israeli-Arab villages. The northern West Bank was also hit.[86][87][89][90][91][92][93]

Hezbollah engaged in guerrilla warfare with IDF ground forces, fighting from well-fortified positions, often in urban areas, and attacking with small, well-armed units. Hezbollah fighters were highly trained, and were equipped with flak jackets, night-vision goggles, communications equipment, and sometimes with Israeli uniforms and equipment. An Israeli soldier who participated in the war said that Hezbollah fighers were "nothing like Hamas or the Palestinians. They are trained and highly qualified. All of us were kind of surprised".[94] During engagements with the IDF, Hezbollah concentrated on inflicting losses on the IDF, believing that an unwillingness to absorb steady losses to be Israel's strategic weakness.[95] However, Hezbollah sustained greater losses than the IDF during ground engagements.

Hezbollah countered IDF armor through the use of sophisticated Russian-made anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs). According to Merkava tank program administration, 52 Merkava main battle tanks were damaged (45 of them by different kinds of ATGM), missiles penetrated 22 tanks, but only 5 tanks were destroyed, one of them by an improvised explosive device (IED). The Merkava tanks that were penetrated were predominantly Mark II and Mark III models, but five Mark IV tanks were also penetrated. All but two of these tanks were rebuilt and returned to service. The IDF declared itself satisfied with the Merkava Mark IV's performance during the war. Hezbollah caused additional casualties using ATGMs to collapse buildings onto Israeli troops sheltering inside.[89] As a result, IDF units did not linger in any one area for an extended period of time.[94] Hezbollah fighters often used tunnels to emerge quickly, fire an anti-tank missile, and then disappear again.[94]

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.[96] 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.[97] Hezbollah's 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.[98][99][100]

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 combatants had destroyed military bases, while the Israelis killed civilians and targeted Lebanon's infrastructure."[101] Hezbollah called on the Arabs of the Israeli city of Haifa to flee,[102] and continued launching rockets into northern Israel.[103]

According to a UN report, approximately around mid-July 2006, the Somalian Islamic Courts Union (ICU) sent about 720 men to Lebanon to fight alongside Hezbollah against the Israeli military. In exchange for the contribution of the Somali military force, Hezbollah arranged for additional support to be given to ICU by the governments of Iran and Syria. However, doubts on the accuracy of this UN report have been raised by both The New York Times, The Jamestown Foundation and initial Israeli reaction.[104][105]

Israeli action

Main article: Military operations of the 2006 Lebanon War
See also: Timeline of Military Operations in the 2006 Lebanon War, Attacks on United Nations personnel during the 2006 Lebanon War, and Dahiya doctrine

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.[89] Large parts of the Lebanese civilian infrastructure were destroyed, including 400 miles (640 km) of roads, 73 bridges, and 31 other targets such as Beirut's Rafic Hariri 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.[106][107][108][109] The strikes focused on Hezbollah bases, command centers, rocket launching positions, long-range rocket stockpiles, arms storages, vehicles, and Lebanese military bases, which were often hidden inside civilian areas. The strikes caused significant casualties among Hezbollah and the Lebanese Army, and destroyed most of Hezbollah's long-range missiles on the ground, along with a portion of its unguided short-range rockets. The Israelis launched several successful commando operations throughout the war, which inflicted significant losses on Hezbollah, and resulted in the capture of military equipment. The IDF's main ground attacks focused on Hezbollah-occupied areas in South Lebanon, and engagements often took place in urban areas. During clashes, Hezbollah losses were greater than those of the Israelis.[110] Israeli forces found and destroyed a large portion of Hezbollah's military infrastructure.

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.[87]

Timeline of the conflict

Post-ceasefire clashes

Position of Lebanon

Main article: Position of Lebanon in the 2006 Lebanon War
See also: Siniora Plan and Foreign relations of Lebanon

While the Israeli government initially held the Lebanese government responsible for the Hezbollah attacks due to Lebanon's failure to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559 and disarm Hezbollah, Lebanon disavowed the raids, stating that the government of Lebanon did not condone them, and pointing out that Israel had a long history of disregarding UN resolutions.[74]

In interviews, Lebanese President Emile Lahoud criticized Israel's attacks and was supportive of Hezbollah, noting Hezbollah's role in ending Israel's previous occupation of southern Lebanon.[173][174] On 12 July 2006, PBS interviewed the Lebanese ambassador Farid Abboud to the United States and his Israeli counterpart. The interview discussed Hezbollah's connection to the Lebanese government.[175]

Israel never declared war on Lebanon,[176][177] and said it only attacked Lebanese governmental institutions which it suspected of being used by Hezbollah.[178] The Lebanese government played a role in shaping the conflict. On 14 July 2006, the office of Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora issued a statement that called on US President George W. Bush to exert all his efforts on Israel to stop its attacks in Lebanon and reach a comprehensive ceasefire.[179] In a televised speech the next day, Siniora called for "an immediate ceasefire backed by the United Nations".[180] A US-French 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 by the US and Israel. Many Lebanese accused the US government of stalling the ceasefire resolution and of support of Israel's attacks. In a poll conducted two weeks into the conflict, only 8% of the respondents felt that the US would support Lebanon, while 87% supported Hezbollah's fight against Israel.[181] 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."[182]

During the war, the Lebanese Armed Forces did not engage in direct hostilities, but threatened retaliation if IDF troops pushed too far northward into Lebanon. In several instances, Lebanese troops fired anti-aircraft weapons at Israeli aircraft and attempted to disrupt landing operations.[183] During the first days of the war, Lebanese Defense Minister Elias Murr said that "the Lebanese army will resist and defend the country. If there is an invasion of Lebanon, we are waiting for them". However, the Lebanese Army mostly stayed out of the fighting. According to a Time editorial, "to have stood up to the advancing Israeli armored columns would have been suicidal".[184] 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.[185]

Allegations, accusations and reports of war crimes

Main article: Possible war crimes in the 2006 Lebanon War
See also: Attacks on United Nations personnel during the 2006 Lebanon War

Under international humanitarian law, warring parties are obliged to distinguish between combatants and civilians, ensure that attacks on legitimate military targets are proportional, and guarantee that the military advantage of such attacks outweigh the possible harm done to civilians.[186] Violations of these laws are considered war crimes. Various groups and individuals accused both Israel and Hezbollah of violations of these laws during the conflict, and warned of possible war crimes.[187] These allegations included intentional attacks on civilian populations or infrastructure, disproportionate or indiscriminate attacks, the use of human shields, and the use of prohibited weapons. No formal charges have been filed against either group.[188]

Amnesty International called on both Hezbollah and Israel to end attacks on civilians during the conflict,[189] and criticized attacks against civilian villages and infrastructure by Israel.[190] They also highlighted IDF use of white phosphorus shells in Lebanon.[191][192] Human Rights Watch accused both parties of failing to distinguish between civilians and combatants, violating the principle of distinction, and committing war crimes.[40][186][193] Peter Bouckaert, a senior emergencies researcher for Human Rights Watch, stated that Hezbollah was "directly targeting civilians... their aim is to kill Israeli civilians" and that Israel had not taken "the necessary precautions to distinguish between civilian and military targets."[194][195] They criticized Hezbollah's use of unguided Katyusha rockets, and Israel's use of unreliable cluster bombs – both too close to civilians areas – suggesting that they may have deliberately targeted civilians.[186][196] UN humanitarian chief Jan Egeland said Israel's response violated international humanitarian law, and criticized Hezbollah for "cowardly blending... among women and children."[197]

Israel defended itself by stating that it tried to avoid civilians, and had distributed leaflets calling on civilian residents to evacuate,[198] but that Hezbollah stored weapons in and fired from civilian areas, making those areas legitimate targets,[199] and used civilians as human shields.[200][201][202][203] Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch found cases where Hezbollah did fire rockets from, and store weapons in, populated areas and deploy its forces among the civilian population; however, both say that is not conclusive evidence of the intent to use civilians as human shields.[199][204][205] HRW stated that "the IDF struck a large number of private homes of civilian Hezbollah members during the war, as well as various civilian Hezbollah-run institutions such as schools, welfare agencies, banks, shops and political offices."[206][207] Although Israel maintained that the civilian infrastructure was "hijacked" by Hezbollah and used for military purposes,[208] but Amnesty International identified the destruction of entire civilian neighbourhoods and villages by Israeli forces, attacks on bridges with no apparent strategic value, and attacks on infrastructure indispensable to the survival of the civilian population,[190] and questioned whether the "military advantage anticipated from destroying" civilian infrastructure had been "measured against the likely effect on civilians."[209] They also stated that the Israeli actions suggested a "policy of punishing both the Lebanese government and the civilian population."[209]

Al-Jazeera reported at the time: "Foreign journalists based in Lebanon also reported that the Shia militia chose to fight from civilian areas and had on occasion prevented Lebanese civilians from fleeing conflict-hit areas of south Lebanon. Al-Manar, Hezbollah's satellite channel, also showed footage of Hezbollah firing rockets from civilian areas and produced animated graphics showing how Hezbollah fired rockets at Israeli cities from inside villages in southern Lebanon."[210]

Images obtained by the Sunday Herald Sun show that "Hezbollah is waging war amid suburbia. The images... show Hezbollah using high-density residential areas as launch pads for rockets and heavy-calibre weapons. Dressed in civilian clothing so they can quickly disappear, the militants carrying automatic assault rifles and ride in on trucks mounted with cannon."[211]

On 24 July 2007, Haaretz reported that the official Israeli inquiry into the war "is to include the examination of claims that the IDF committed war crimes during last summer's fighting."[212]

A 6 September 2007 Human Rights Watch report found that most of the civilian deaths in Lebanon resulted from "indiscriminate Israeli airstrikes", and found that Israeli aircraft targeted vehicles carrying fleeing civilians.[213] In a statement issued before the report's release, the human rights organization said there was no basis to the Israeli government's claim that civilian casualties resulted from Hezbollah guerrillas using civilians as shields. Kenneth Roth, Human Rights Watch executive director, said there were only "rare" cases of Hezbollah operating in civilian villages. "To the contrary, once the war started, most Hizbollah(sic) military officials and even many political officials left the villages" he said. "Most Hizbollah(sic) military activity was conducted from prepared positions outside Lebanese villages in the hills and valleys around." Roth also noted that "Hezbollah fighters often didn’t carry their weapons in the open or regularly wear military uniforms, which made them a hard target to identify. But this doesn’t justify the IDF’s failure to distinguish between civilians and combatants, and if in doubt to treat a person as a civilian, as the laws of war require."[214]

On its final report, issued on 30 January 2008, the Israeli government's Winograd Commission concluded that the Israel Defense Forces did not commit violations or war crimes, as alleged by the Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and other NGOs. The evidence claims to show that the Israel Defense Forces did not target civilians, in contrast to Hezbollah and to the false allegations by NGOs, and terms like “war crimes” are without basis.[215] This report also found that, "Israel must consider whether it wants to continue using cluster bombs in the future, because its current manner of employing them does not conform to international law."[216]

Casualties

Main article: Casualties of the 2006 Lebanon War

Lebanese civilians

The Lebanese civilian death toll is difficult to pinpoint as most published figures do not distinguish between civilians and Hezbollah combatants, including those released by the Lebanese government.[20] In addition, Hezbollah fighters can be difficult to identify as many do not wear military uniforms.[20] However, it has been widely reported that the majority of the Lebanese killed were civilians, and UNICEF estimated that 30% of Lebanese killed were children under the age of 13.[217]

The Lebanese top police office and the Lebanon Ministry of Health, citing hospitals, death certificates, local authorities, and eye witnesses, put the death toll at 1,123—37 soldiers and police officers, 894 identified victims, and 192 unidentified ones.[20] The Lebanon Higher Relief Council (HRC) put the Lebanese death toll at 1,191,[41] citing the health ministry and police, as well as other state agencies.[20] The Associated Press estimated the figure at 1,035.[20] In February 2007, the Los Angeles Times reported that at least 800 Lebanese had died during fighting,[218] and other articles have estimated the figure to be at least 850.[219][220] Encarta states that "estimates... varied from about 850 to 1,200" in its entry on Israel,[221] while giving a figure of "more than 1,200" in its entry on Lebanon.[222] The Lebanon Higher Relief Council estimated the number of Lebanese injured to be 4,409,[41] 15% of whom were permanently disabled.[223]

The death toll estimates do not include Lebanese killed since the end of fighting by land mines or unexploded Israeli cluster bombs.[20] Between the end of the war and November 2008, approximately 40 people were killed and over 270 injured by cluster bombs.[224]

Hezbollah

Hezbollah casualty figures are difficult to ascertain, with claims and estimates by different groups and individuals ranging from 184 to 1,000. However, Hezbollah is known to have sustained heavier casualties than Israel during the conflict. Hezbollah's leadership announced that 250 of their fighters were killed in the conflict,[17] while Israel estimated that its forces had killed 600 Hezbollah fighters.[17][20] In addition, Israel claimed to have the names and addresses of 532 dead Hezbollah fighters.[225] A UN official estimated that 500 Hezbollah fighters had been killed,[19] and Lebanese government officials estimated that up to 500 had been killed and 1,500 wounded.[18] A Stratfor report cited "sources in Lebanon" as estimating the Hezbollah death toll at "more than 700... with many more to go",[226] Meanwhile, British Military Historian John Keegan estimated that as many as 1,000 Hezbollah fighters were killed.[227] A burial count noted 184 funerals of Hezbollah fighters.[228][229] Defense analyst Ben Moores of defence-aerospace.com estimated that Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard lost a combined total of 600-900 killed in action.[230] According to Anthony H. Cordesman and William D. Sullivan, Hezbollah's losses in dead, wounded, and captured operatives were less than 15 percent of the initial force, and most of the dead were part-time fighters.[231]

Con Coughlin of the Daily Telegraph reported that the difficulty in ascertaining an accurate Hezbollah casualty count was due in large part to deliberate attempts by Hezbollah to conceal the true extent of its losses. Citing a “senior security official” he wrote, “Hizbollah(sic) is desperate to conceal its casualties because it wants to give the impression that it is winning its war. People might reach a different conclusion if they knew the true extent of Hizbollah’s (sic) casualties.” In his article, it was claimed that Lebanese security officials disclosed that Iran was compensating the families of Hezbollah dead, and that Hezbollah's operational council had drawn up casualty lists to be sent to Iran, copies of which were obtained by Lebanese newspapers that did not publish them due to Hezbollah pressure. Lebanese officials also disclosed that many of Hezbollah's wounded were secretly hospitalized in Syria after being taken through the al-Arissa border crossing with the assistance of Syrian security forces.[232] Patrick Bishop of the Telegraph reported that Hezbollah’s “culture of secrecy has disguised the true number of its losses – funerals of ‘martyrs’ are being staggered to soften the impact of losses. Some were interred without ceremony for re-burial later.”[233]

Other Lebanese militias

The Amal movement, a militia that fought alongside Hezbollah, suffered 17 dead. The Lebanese Communist Party, which chose to fight with Hezbollah, suffered 12 dead. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command, a Palestinian militia that also fought alongside Hezbollah, lost two fighters.[8]

Lebanese military casualties

Though rarely engaged in combat, 43 Lebanese Armed Forces soldiers and policemen were killed and 100 were wounded, most of them in Israeli strikes on military bases.[8]

Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps casualties

Some media outlets citing Lebanese sources reported that the bodies of as many as nine Iranian Revolutionary Guard soldiers killed in the fighting were transported to Syria for burial in Iran.[22][23] Aviation Week reported that papers recovered from the bodies of soldiers killed in Southern Lebanon on 9 Aug. identified them as members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards.[234] Defense analyst Ben Moores of defense-aerospace.com stated that Iranian Revolutionary Guardsmen were among the 600 to 900 anti-Israeli fighters killed during the conflict.[235]

Israel Defense Forces

Main article: Israeli casualties of war

A total of 123 IDF soldiers were killed in the war, including the two soldiers whose bodies were seized in the Zar'it-Shtula incident that started the war, whose fates weren't confirmed until their bodies were exchanged for Lebanese prisoners in 2008.[26][236]

Israeli military and civilian Casualties in the 2006 Lebanese war[237]
Soldiers Civilians Rockets fired
Killed Wounded Captured Killed Wounded on Israel
July 12 8 4 2 2 22
July 13 2 2 67 125
July 14 4 2 2 19 103
July 15 4 16 100
July 16 17 8 77 47
July 17 28 92
July 18 1 1 21 136
July 19 2 15 2 18 116
July 20 5 8 16 34
July 21 1 3 52 97
July 22 7 35 129
July 23 2 45 94
July 24 4 27 17 111
July 25 10 2 60 101
July 26 8 31 1 32 169
July 27 6 38 109
July 28 10 19 111
July 29 7 10 86
July 30 8 81 156
July 31 12 25 6
August 1 3 12 4
August 2 1 41 1 88 230
August 3 4 22 8 76 213
August 4 3 25 3 97 194
August 5 2 70 4 59 170
August 6 12 35 4 150 189
August 7 3 35 12 185
August 8 6 74 10 136
August 9 15 186 36 166
August 10 2 123 2 21 155
August 11 1 76 26 123
August 12 24 131 24 64
August 13 9 203 1 105 217
August 14 37 2
August 15 2
Total 119 1244 2 43 1384 3990

Israeli civilians

Most Israeli civilians fled the region or took refuge in bomb shelters as Hezbollah fired rockets.[199] Hezbollah rockets killed 43 Israeli civilians during the conflict,[25] including four civilians who died of heart attacks as a direct result of the rocket attacks.[236] At least 18 of those killed were Israeli Arabs[238][239] The last civilian victim was an Israeli-Arab man who died on August 30, 2007, from injuries sustained in a rocket attack on Haifa.[240] In addition, 4,262 civilians were injured–33 seriously wounded, 68 moderately, 1,388 lightly, and 2,773 suffered from shock and anxiety.[26] According to Human Rights Watch, "These bombs may have killed 'only' 43 civilians, but that says more about the availability of warning systems and bomb shelters throughout most of Northern Israel and the evacuation of more than 350,000 people than it does about Hezbollah's intentions."[241]

Environmental and archeological damage

See also: Jiyeh power station oil spill

On 13 July 2006, and again on 15 July 2006, the Israeli Air Force bombed the Jiyeh power station, 30 km (19 mi) south of Beirut, resulting in the largest ever oil spill in the Mediterranean Sea.[242] 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.[242][243] A 10 km (6 mi) wide oil slick covered 170 km (105 statute miles) of coastline,[244][245] and threatened Turkey and Cyprus. The slick killed fish including the Atlantic bluefin tuna, a species already nearing extinction in the Mediterranean, and threatened the habitat of the endangered green sea turtle.[246] 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.[242] The Lebanese government estimated it would take 10 years to recover from the damage of the strike. The UN estimated the cost for the initial clean-up at $64 million.[42]

Hezbollah rocket attacks caused numerous forest fires inside northern Israel, particularly on the Naftali mountain range near Kiryat Shmona.[247] As many as 16,500 acres (67 km²) of land, including forests and grazing fields, were destroyed by Hezbollah rockets.[248] The Jewish National Fund estimated that it would take 50 to 60 years to rehabilitate the forests.[249]

Israeli bombing also caused significant damage to the world heritage sites of Tyre and Byblos. In Tyre a Roman tomb was damaged and a fresco near the centre of the site collapsed. In Byblos, a medieval tower was damaged and Venetian period remains near the harbour were dramatically stained by the oil slick and were considered to be difficult to clean. Damage was also caused to remains at Bint Jbeil and Chamaa, and to the Temple of Bacchus in Baalbek.[250][251][252][253]

Cluster munitions

Both sides used cluster bombs during the conflict. Israel fired 4.6 million submunitions into dozens of towns and villages in southern Lebanon in 962 separate strikes, the vast majority within the final days of the war. Israel claimed to have warned civilians prior to a strike, and that firing was limited to open areas or military targets inside urban areas.[254] Israel used advanced cluster munitions produced by Israel Military Industries, and large numbers of older cluster bombs, some produced in the 1970s, purchased from aging American stockpiles. These were fired by multiple rocket launchers, 155mm artillery guns, and dropped by aircraft. As many as 1 million submunitions failed to explode on impact, lingering as land mines that killed or maimed almost 200 people since the war ended.[255] As of 2011, munitions were still causing casualties and being cleared by volunteers.[256]

Hezbollah fired 4,407 submunitions into civilian-populated areas of northern Israel in 113 separate strikes, using Chinese made Type-81 122mm rockets, and Type-90 submunitions. These attacks killed one civilian and wounded twelve.[257]

Psychological warfare

During the war, the IAF dropped 17,000 leaflets over Lebanon in 47 missions, and sent more than 700,000 computerized voice messages. Many of them contained caricatures of Hassan Nasrallah and Hezbollah leading Lebanon to ruin and making civilians suffer, showing them as puppets of Iran and Syria, and calling on civilians to help remove Hezbollah. Another leaflet addressing Hezbollah fighters told them that they were lied to by their leaders, that they were "sent like sheep to be butchered, lacking military training and without proper combat gear", that they could not hope to face "highly trained soldiers that fight to protect their homeland, their people, and their home", referring to them as "mercenaries" without the support of the Lebanese public, and urging them to run and save their lives. On 26 July, Israel dropped leaflets containing illustrations of nine tombstones with the name of a dead Hezbollah fighter on each one, in response to Nasrallah "deceiving" people on the amount of Hezbollah casualties. Another leaflet urged Hezbollah fighters to stop bleeding and fighting for Nasrallah, who sat safe in a bunker, to stop fighting against Lebanese national interests, and to return to their homes and families. On 11 August, Israel dropped leaflets accusing Hezbollah of hiding its "great losses", and containing the names of 90-100 Hezbollah fighters killed. Israeli technicians also hacked into Al-Manar and broadcast clips, criticizing Nasrallah, showing the bodies of Hezbollah fighters, footage from Israeli raids and airstrikes, and captured Hezbollah equipment.[258]

International action and reaction

Main article: International reactions to the 2006 Lebanon War
See also: Military and economic aid in the 2006 Lebanon War and International reactions to the 2006 Lebanon War by evacuations and aid

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. The governments of the United States,[259] United Kingdom, Germany,[260] 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.[261] United States President George W. Bush said he thought the conflict was part of the "War on Terrorism".[262][263] On 20 July 2006, the United States Congress voted overwhelmingly to support Israel's "right to defend itself".[264]

Among neighboring Middle Eastern nations, Iran, Syria, and Yemen voiced strong support for Hezbollah, while the Arab League, Egypt, and Jordan issued statements criticizing Hezbollah's actions[265] and declaring support for Lebanon.[266] Saudi Arabia found Hezbollah entirely responsible.[267] Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Iraq, the Palestinian Authority, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain agreed with the Saudi stance that Hezbollah's actions were "unexpected, inappropriate and irresponsible acts."[266]

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.[268][269]

Various foreign governments assisted the evacuation of their citizens from Lebanon.[270]

Ceasefire

See also: Ceasefire attempts during the 2006 Lebanon War

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,[271] while Israel insisted upon a conditional ceasefire, including the return of the two seized soldiers.[272] Lebanon frequently pled for the United Nations Security Council to call for an immediate, unconditional ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. John Bolton confirmed that the US and UK, with support from several Arab leaders, delayed the ceasefire process. Outsider efforts to interfere with a ceasefire only ended when it became apparent Hezbollah would not be easily defeated.[273]

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.[274]

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,[275] 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.[276]

Reviews of the conflict

Following the UN-brokered ceasefire, there were mixed responses on who had gained or lost the most in the war. Iran and Syria proclaimed a victory for Hezbollah[277] while Olmert declared that the war was a success for Israel.[5]

Lebanon

At the outbreak of hostilities, Prime Minister Fuad Saniora promised to rein in Hezbollah in an effort to stop Israel’s offensive. Saniora said that there could be no sovereign state of Lebanon without the group’s disarming. The former President of Lebanon Amin Gemayel, a longtime critic of Hezbollah said, "Hezbollah took a unilateral action, but its repercussions will affect the entire country."[278] The war deepened the longtime divide in Lebanon over Hezbollah's role. Many admired the organization for being the sole group to fight against Israel. Others considered it to be a dangerous militia that executes Iran and Syria policies in Lebanon. The divide over Hezbollah followed mostly sectarian lines, with Shias largely supporting the group and Sunnis, Christians and Druse mostly opposing it.[278]

A poll in July 2006 showed that 80 per cent of Lebanese Christians, 80 per cent of Druze and 89 per cent of Sunnis supported Hezbollah, a Shia Muslim group.[279]

On 27 August 2006, Nasrallah stated, "Had we known that the capture of the soldiers would have led to [the war], we would definitely not have done it." This was the day before UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's visit to Lebanon.[280]

On 22 September 2006, some eight hundred thousand Hezbollah supporters gathered in Beirut for a rally at which Nasrallah stated that Hezbollah had achieved a "divine and strategic victory."[281][282][283]

Israel

Within hours of Israeli's bombing of Lebanon on 13 July 2006, hundreds of protesters gathered in Tel Aviv to oppose the war.[284] On 22 July, about 2,000 people, including many Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel, demanded an end to the offensive during a protest march in Tel Aviv's Rabin Square.[285] On 5 August, some Israelis demonstrated in Tel Aviv, including former Knesset members of the Meretz party, Mossi Raz, Naomi Hazan and Yael Dayan.

Initially, in a poll by an Israeli radio station, Israelis were split on the outcome with the majority believing that no one won.[286] By 25 August, 63% of Israelis polled wanted Olmert to resign due to his handling of the war.[287] The Jerusalem Post said that " if you fail to win, you lose" and that as "Hezbollah survived, it won the war."[288]

Olmert admitted to the Knesset that there were mistakes in the war in Lebanon,[289] though he framed UN Security Council resolution 1701 as an accomplishment for Israel that would bring home the captured soldiers, and said that the operations had altered the regional strategic balance vis-à-vis Hezbollah.[290] The Israeli Chief of Staff Dan Halutz admitted to failings in the conflict.[291] 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.[292] Halutz subsequently resigned on 17 January 2007.

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 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,[293] including the influential Movement for Quality Government.[293][294] 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 the 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.[295] 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.[296]

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."[297] 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.[298] IDF Major General Yiftah Ron Tal, on 4 October 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.[299] Ron-Tal was subsequently fired for making those and other critical comments.[300]

However, Eyal Zisser, director of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies at Tel Aviv University, took a contrary position and expressed the view that the war was in fact a strategic success for Israel and a Hezbollah defeat. He noted that Hezbollah had "lost about a third of its elite fighting force" and that "despite mistakes made by the IDF in conducting the military campaign, Israeli soldiers triumphed in every face-to-face battle with Hezbollah." He concluded that "as time passes, the severity of the blow suffered by Lebanon and its people from the 2006 war becomes clear."[301]

Zisser's view was shared by Dutch-Israeli military historian and author Martin van Creveld who argued that Hezbollah “had the fight knocked out of it,” lost hundreds of its members and that the organization was “thrown out of South Lebanon,” replaced by “a fairy robust United Nations peacekeeping force.” He also stressed that as a result of the war, Israel is experiencing a level of calm on the Lebanon border not seen in over four decades.[302]

In 2008, Ehud Barak, the replacement defense minister for Peretz, stated that the conflict failed to disarm Hezbollah, and that the group is increasingly entrenched in South Lebanon, further stating that "Hezbollah is stronger than ever and has more rockets than at the outbreak of the Lebanon war in the summer of 2006"[303] but he later noted that "[Israeli] deterrence still exists."[304] The IDF's Northern Command cited this deterrence as one reason Hezbollah did not fire any rockets into Israel during Operation Cast Lead.[305]

In March 2007, the Committee decided to name the war the "Second Lebanon War", a decision that was subsequently approved by the Israeli cabinet.[306]

Israeli military historian Martin van Creveld stated that the war was a strategic Israeli victory and a setback for Hezbollah, and criticized the Winograd Commission for its failure to mention the many successes achieved by Israel's military campaign. He noted that hundreds of Hezbollah fighters were killed in the war, and that the organization had "the fight knocked out of it", since following the war, Israel experienced a level of calm on its Lebanon border not seen since the mid-1960s. He also noted that Hezbollah was "thrown out of South Lebanon", and was replaced by "a fairly robust United Nations peacekeeping force" to prevent its return. He also said that there were a number of Israeli failures in the war, including the failure to terminate hostilities earlier and with fewer casualties.[307]

IDF Maj.-Gen. (res.) Yaakov Amidror highlighted the number of Hezbollah militants killed, the quick military response to Hezbollah's long-range rocket attacks, the post-war replacement of Hezbollah by the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL in southern Lebanon, and Iran's loss of Hezbollah as a deterrent against an Israeli first strike following the war.[308] Thomas Friedman concurred, stating that the war was a "huge strategic loss for Hezbollah", and contrasted the billions in damage suffered by Hezbollah and Lebanon with the "relatively minor damage" suffered by Israel, which enjoyed an economic "growth spurt" immediately following the war.[309]

Winograd Commission Report

Main article: Winograd Commission

According to the Winograd Commission Report, the Second Lebanon War was regarded as a "missed opportunity" and that "Israel initiated a long war, which ended without a defined military victory". The report continued to state that "a semi-military organization of a few thousand men resisted, for a few weeks, the strongest army in the Middle East, which enjoyed full air superiority and size and technology advantages". Furthermore, Hezbollah's rocket attacks continued throughout the war and the IDF did not provide an effective response to it. Following a long period of using standoff fire power and limited ground activities, the IDF launched a large scale ground offensive close to the UN Security Council's resolution which imposed a cease-fire. "This offensive did not result in military gains and was not completed".

Later in the Report, the Commission stated that "[a] decision [was] made in the night of 12 July to react (to the capturing) with immediate and substantive military action and to set... ambitious goals." This decision had immediate repercussions in that subsequent decisions were limited mainly to a choice between a) "a short, painful and unexpected blow on Hezbollah" and b) "to bring about a significant change of the reality in the South of Lebanon with a large ground operation,[occupying]...the South of Lebanon and 'cleaning' it of Hezbollah". "The fact Israel went to war before it decided which option to select and without an exit strategy, all these constituted serious failures of the decision making process."

As for achievements, the Commission reported that "SC resolution 1701, and the fact that it was adopted unanimously, were an achievement for Israel."[310]

Rest of the world

In the aftermath of the conflict US President George Bush said that Hezbollah was responsible for starting the war, and that the group suffered a defeat at the hands of Israel.[311] He dismissed claims of victory by Hezbollah leaders, asking: "how can you claim victory when at one time you were a state within a state, safe within southern Lebanon, and now you're going to be replaced by a Lebanese Army and an international force?"[311] In his 2010 memoir, Decision Points, Bush wrote that Israel had weakened Hezbollah and secured its northern border, but that Israel's "shaky military performance" cost it international credibility. He also said that Israel "mishandled" its opportunity, and that some of the sites it attacked were of "questionable military value".[312]

In a speech given on 15 August 2006, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad claimed that the Arab resistance against Israel would continue to grow stronger, saying, "Your weapons, warplanes, rockets and even your atomic bomb will not protect you in the future."[314]

The Economist magazine concluded that by surviving this asymmetrical military conflict with Israel, Hezbollah effectively emerged with a military and political victory from this conflict. 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.[315]

Matt M. Matthews, a military historian at the Combat Studies Institute of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College praised Hezbollah paramilitaries and reflected on what he described as "the lackluster performance of the IDF." He attributed this to several factors including (Lieutenant-General and Chief of the IDF General Staff) Halutz’s steadfast confidence in air power coupled with continuing COIN operations against the Palestinians at the expense of training for major combat operations.[316]

The US Congressional Research Service found that although Hezbollah’s military capabilities may have been substantially reduced, its long-term potential as a guerrilla movement appeared to remain intact: "Observers note that Hezbollah’s leaders have been able to claim a level of 'victory' simply by virtue of not having decisively 'lost'."[317]

In the 2007 BBC documentary, Hunting for Hezbollah, BBC This World reporter Emeka Onono referred to Israel's inability to eliminate Hezbollah as a "humiliation for Israel's supposedly all-powerful army," and he went on to claim that Hezbollah's survival propelled it to hero status throughout many Muslim nations.[318]

British military historian John Keegan stated that the outcome of the war was "misreported as an Israeli defeat" due to anti-Israel bias in the international media. He concluded that Hezbollah had suffered heavy losses, and that a cease-fire came into effect before Israel could completely dislodge Hezbollah from its positions. He also stated that the casualties sustained by Israel during the war had alarmed the Israeli Government and High Command because Israel's small population is acutely vulnerable to losses in battle.[227]

Charles Krauthammer, a syndicated columnist and political commentator, citing an interview by which Nasrallah admitted that he would not have captured the soldiers had he known that it would lead to war, wrote, "Nasrallah's admission, vastly underplayed in the West, makes clear what Lebanese already knew. Hezbollah may have won the propaganda war, but on the ground it lost. Badly." He noted that Hezbollah's entrenched infrastructure along Israel's border was shattered and would not be easily rebuilt due to the presence of the Lebanese Army and a robust UNIFIL force, hundreds of Hezbollah's best fighters were killed in the war, and that many Lebanese were angry with Hezbollah for provoking a war which largely devastated the country.[319]

Michael Young, opinion page editor at the Lebanese Daily Star newspaper, stated that Hezbollah turned "the stench of defeat into the smell of victory," through clever use of its propaganda machine. He suggested that Hezbollah had "hoodwinked" pundits who believed that Hezbollah was victorious, and opined that "one dreads to imagine what Hezbollah would recognize as a military loss."[320]

American military strategist and historian Edward Luttwak drew comparisons with the 1973 Yom Kippur War, where what initially looked like an Israeli setback later turned out to be an IDF victory and an Arab defeat. He stated that although some IDF tanks were penetrated by missiles, they also largely limited IDF casualties, and that Hezbollah had failed to inflict massive losses on the IDF and to kill large numbers of Israelis in rocket attacks.[321]

Cambridge professor and Peterhouse Fellow Brendan Simms summed up the war this way; "Hezbollah have suffered a setback (but are too clever to admit it) and the Israelis have scored a long-term success (but are too narrow-minded to realize it)."[322]

Journalist Michael Totten wrote that "Hezbollah lost and Hezbollah knows it." He questioned why Hezbollah did not attack Israel when the IDF attacked Hamas in Gaza in 2008, and noted that most of Nasrallah’s supporters "want Hezbollah to deter Israeli invasions, not to invite Israeli invasions". Totten concluded that Nasrallah's boasts "play well in much of the Arab world", but that the 2006 "victory" seemed "empty at home."[323]

The Young Turks, an American talk show, reviewed the war as an Israeli military victory, and a Hezbollah propaganda victory. Cenk Uygur pointed out that Israel had managed to drive back Hezbollah and create an 18-mile (29 km) buffer zone in South Lebanon, while Hezbollah managed to win the propaganda war because it was able to keep fighting on the ground and continue firing rockets into Israel until the war's end.[324]

Financial repercussions

The fighting resulted in a huge financial setback for Lebanon, with an official estimate of a fall in growth from +6% to 2% and US$5 Billion (22% of GDP)[325] in direct and indirect costs, while the cost for Israel was estimated at US$3.5 billion.[326] Indirect costs to Israel include a cut in growth by 0.9%.[327] and the cost to tourism was estimated at 0.4% of Israel's GDP in the following year.[328] According to one analyst in the Associated Press, the main casualty was the fragile unity between Lebanon's sectarian and political groups,[329] though an Asia Times piece points to Free Patriotic Movement head Michel Aoun's support for Hezbollah and provision of housing for Shi'a refugees as evidence for strengthened relations.

Media controversy

Main article: 2006 Lebanon War photographs controversies
See also: Adnan Hajj photographs controversy

A 2007 report entitled "War to the Last Moment": The Israeli Media in the Second Lebanon War by the Israeli media monitoring NGO Keshev (trans. "Awareness")[330] found that the Israeli media "except for a few exceptional instances...covered the war in an almost entirely mobilized manner" serving more to support the goals of the Israeli government and IDF than to objectively report the news. "The media created a general atmosphere of complete and absolute support and justification of the war, and systematically suppressed questions that arose as early as the first day of fighting... The criticism gradually increased toward the end of the war-as it became clearer that the IDF was not managing to win. But the general spirit of the war coverage, in the broad strategic sense, as utterly uncritical." Keshev's report documents a post-war memo from the Deputy CEO of Marketing for the Hebrew newspaper Maariv to Maariv employees which states, in part, that

“ Even when we had problematic material related to the management of the war...we restrained ourselves. In a certain sense, we betrayed our role as journalists, but we did so because we took national, patriotic considerations into account and decided that in the event of war, and certainly a war which was not progressing as it should and was going awry, we were part of the Country; that it was permissible, and even required of us, to postpone disputes and criticism; and that we did not have to apologize, or to feel abashed, for our support and backing of the Army and the Government. ”

[331]

In the beginning of the war, according to the report, "significant coverage of the decision-making process was almost entirely absent in Israel's media".[331] The media also marginalized reports on Israelis living in the North who did not receive proper governmental support and harped on the question of the loyalties of Arab-Israelis in the North instead of focusing on inadequate provision of services by the state.[331]

While the Israeli media reported on Lebanese suffering, it divorced this suffering from the IDF operations which caused it.[331] With regard to diplomacy, the media buried the stories on negotiations to reflect the derision held by decision-makers toward a diplomatic solution.[331]

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.[332]

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.[333]

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.[334]

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.[333]

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.[335]

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.[336] It is "common practice to send more than one photographer to an incident".[337]

Post-ceasefire events

Main article: Timeline of Military Operations in the 2006 Lebanon War#Post-ceasefire events

In the days following the 14 August 2006 ceasefire, Hezbollah launched dozens of rockets and mortars inside southern Lebanon, which Israel did not respond to, though there were several instances where Israeli troops killed armed Hezbollah members approaching their positions.[338][339][340] Israeli warplanes continued conducting numerous flyovers and maneuvers above southern Lebanon, which Israel said did not violate the ceasefire.[341][342] On 19 August 2006, Israel launched a raid in Lebanon's eastern Beqaa Valley it says was aimed at disrupting Hezbollah's weapons supply from Syria and Iran.[343] Lebanese officials "said the Israelis were apparently seeking a guerrilla target in a school."[172][344][345][346][347] Israel's aerial and commando operations were criticised by Kofi Annan as violations of the ceasefire, which he said they had conducted the majority of, and he also protested the continued embargo. France, then leading UNIFIL, also issued criticism of the flyovers, which it interpreted as aggressive.[348] Israel argued that “[t]he cease-fire is based on (UN resolution) 1701 which calls for an international arms embargo against Hezbollah,” and said the embargo could be lifted after full implementation of the cease-fire[343] but Annan said that UNIFIL would only interdict arms at Lebanon's request.[349][350] On 7 September 2006 and 8 September 2006 respectively, aviation and naval blockades were lifted.[351] In the second half of September Hezbollah claimed victory and asserted an improvement in their position, and they redeployed to some positions on the border[352][353] as Israel completed its withdrawal from Lebanon save border-straddling Ghajar.[354][355][356][357][358][359]

On 3 October, an Israeli fighter penetrated the 2-nautical-mile (4 km) defence perimeter of the French frigate Courbet without answering radio calls, triggering a diplomatic incident.[360]

On 24 October, six Israeli F-16s flew over a German Navy 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.[361][362][363]

On 1 December 2006, UN 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.[364] 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.[364] 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.[364][365] Annan also reported that as of 20 November 2006, 822 Israeli cluster bomb strike sites had been recorded,[365] with 60,000 cluster bomblets having been cleared by the UN Mine Action Coordination Center.[366]

The months after the hostilities saw major upheaval in the Israeli military and political echelon, with the spate of high-ranking resignations including Chief of General Staff Dan Halutz,[367] and calls for resignations of many cabinet-members including Prime-Minister Ehud Olmert following publication of the Winograd Commission's findings.[368] The Winograd report severely criticized Olmert, accusing him of a "severe failure in exercising judgment, responsibility and caution." Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora criticized the Winograd report for failing to report on the full destruction dealt to Lebanon by the brief July War of 2006.[369]

After the war, the Lebanese Army deployed 15,000 soldiers, backed by a UNIFIL force of 12,000, deployed South of the Litani River to replace Hezbollah, although the Lebanese government said that it cannot and will not disarm Hezbollah by force. On 7 February 2010, the Lebanese Army fired at an Israeli bulldozer on the border, and Israeli forces returned fire. There were no reported casualties. Lebanon claimed that the bulldozer had crossed the border and entered Lebanese territory. In June 2007, Lebanese troops fired at an Israeli UAV over Tyre with small arms, causing no damage.[370]

On 30 June 2007, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon's fourth report on the implementation of SC Resolution 1701 fingered Israel, Lebanon and Hezbollah for violating the ceasefire, but called the firing of rockets into Israel by unknown elements "the most serious breach of the cessation of hostilities since the end of the war." The report commended Israel on its restraint following this attack, and commended Lebanon for its continued efforts to disarm armed groups. It further stated that in spite of "flexibility by Israel beyond the framework of UNSC-Resolution 1701, implementation of the resolution's humanitarian aspects has not yet been possible."[371]

On 12 February 2008, Imad Mugniyah, the head of Hezbollah’s military wing, was assassinated by a car bomb in Damascus.[372] The Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency, was widely believed to be behind the assassination. Although Israel officially denied involvement, Mugniyah had been the target of previous Mossad assassination attempts.[373] Israel considered Mugniyah a "significant force behind actions against Israel".[374]

On 14 July 2009, an explosion in Khirbat Silim, a Lebanese village near the Lebanon-Israel border, killed eight Hezbollah militants. Israel and the United Nations stated that the explosion was a hidden Hezbollah weapons cache, and condemned Hezbollah for violating Resolution 1701. The Lebanese government stated that the explosion was caused by IDF munitions left following the 2006 war.[375][376] Hezbollah blamed the explosion on leftover shells that had been collected following Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000.[377] A Kuwaiti newspaper, al-Seyassah, reported that the ammunition warehouse stored chemical weapons.[378]

On 23 August 2009, the IDF published a video it said showed villagers from Marwakhin, a village in Southern Lebanon, "forcefully resisting" efforts by Hezbollah militants to store weapons in their village.[379]

On 4 November 2009 Israeli navy commandos of Shayetet 13 boarded the ship MV Francop in the eastern Mediterranean Sea and seized 500 tons of Iranian armaments disguised as civilian cargo. Israel said the weapons were bound for Hezbollah and originated from Iran.[380] Hezbollah disavowed any connection to the contraband and accused Israel of “piracy.”[381]

In May 2010, the Lebanese Army fired anti-aircraft artillery at two Israeli jets over Lebanon.[382]

In 2010, French UNIFIL forces warned that they could in the future attack Israeli jets with anti-aircraft batteries if Israel continued its overflights of Lebanese airspace.[383]

In 4 August 2010, a clash on the border occurred when the Israel military tried to remove a tree from between the border and the border fence on Israeli territory. According to the Israeli's, the tree was blocking the view of one of their video cameras at the border. The Lebanese army fired at the Israeli forces and there was a clash for a few hours. In the ensuing clash, one Israeli soldier died as well as two Lebanese soldiers and one Lebanese journalist. There were also a number of injured military soldiers and civilians on both sides including Lebanese journalists.[384]

Prisoner swap

Main article: 2008 Israel-Hezbollah prisoner swap

On Wednesday 16 July 2008, in accordance with the mandates of Resolution 1701, Hezbollah transferred the coffins of captured Israeli soldiers,[385] Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, in exchange for incarcerated Palestine Liberation Front militant Samir Kuntar, four Hezbollah militants captured by Israel during the war, and bodies of about 200 other Lebanese and Palestinian militants held by Israel.[386] Until that time, Hezbollah had refused to provide information on Goldwasser and Regev.

In film

The 2006 Lebanon War is the subject of two feature length films, both of which were screened at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. They are Philippe Aractingi's Under the Bombs (2007) and Guy Nattiv and Erez Tadmor's Strangers (2007). [387]

See also

2006 Lebanon War
 Israel ·  Lebanon · Hezbollah · UNIFIL

References

  1. ^ Uzi Rubin. The Rocket Campaign against Israel during the 2006 Lebanon War. p 12. The Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies Bar-Ilan University
  2. ^ "خطاب السيد حسن نصرالله في مهرجان النصر الإلهي 22 أيلول 2006". Shiaweb.org. http://www.shiaweb.org/hizbulla/video/intesar/index.html. Retrieved 2011-05-17. 
  3. ^ http://www.mideastweb.org/log/archives/00000507.htm |Hezbollah's Victory: Reigniting the "Evil Hope"
  4. ^ Interview with Dr. Norman Finkelste about Hezbollah in Future TV on YouTube
  5. ^ a b Bentov, Ami (12 July 2007). "Olmert claims Lebanon War was a success". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-07-12-4087089951_x.htm. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  6. ^ "Both Hezbollah and Israeli leaders declare victory". Fox News. 14 August 2006. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,208206,00.html. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  7. ^ "Lebanese paper: Don't buy Nasrallah's claims". Ynetnews.com. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3354734,00.html. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  8. ^ a b c d Daily Star. By Agence France-Presse AFP "Timeline of the July War 2006". Retrieved 17 April 2007.
  9. ^ Herbert Docena (17 August 2006). "Amid the bombs, unity is forged". Asia Times Online. http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/HH17Ak02.html. "The LCP...has itself been very close to Hezbollah and fought alongside it in the frontlines in the south. According to Hadadeh, at least 12 LCP members and supporters died in the fighting." 
  10. ^ "PFLP claims losses in IDF strike on Lebanon base". Associated Press. The Jerusalem Post. 6 August 2006. http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1154525814854&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull. 
  11. ^ "Two Northern Command chiefs?", Ynetnews, 8 August 2006; See also, "IDF officials: Maj. Gen. Adam must quit post after war"; "Israel swaps commanders"; "Israel names new commander to head offensive" Agence France-Presse, Retrieved 14 December 2009; "Israel changes command structure"
  12. ^ "Israel captures guerrillas in Hezbollah hospital raid". USA Today. 2 August 2006. http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-08-01-mideast-fighting_x.htm. 
  13. ^ "Some 30,000 Israeli troops in Lebanon — army radio". Reuters via Yahoo! News Asia. 13 August 2006. http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060813/3/2of6v.html. 
  14. ^ 2006/strength-of-israel-lebanon-and-hezbollah/ International Institute for Strategic Studies
  15. ^ Hirst, David: Beware of Small States; Lebanon, Battleground of the Middle East (2010)
  16. ^ Winograd Commission Report, page 353. Based on Northern Command medical census of 9 November 2006.
  17. ^ a b c "Army chief says Israel may have to confront Hezbollah attempts to re-arm". International Herald Tribune. Associated Press. 21 February 2007. http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/02/21/africa/ME-GEN-Israel-Hezbollah.php. 
  18. ^ a b c Con Coughlin (4 August 2006). "Teheran fund pays war compensation to Hizbollah families". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/08/04/wmid404.xml. Retrieved 2007-03-02. 
  19. ^ a b Patrick Bishop (22 August 2006). "Peacekeeping force won't disarm Hizbollah". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/08/22/wmid122.xml. Retrieved 2007-04-30. ""A UN official estimated the deaths at 500"" 
  20. ^ a b c d e f g h "Lebanon Sees More Than 1,000 War Deaths". AP via Usti.net. http://news.usti.net/home/news/cn/?/world.mideast.misc/1/wed/bq/Alebanon-war-deaths.RYBR_GDS.html.  "Israel initially said 800 Hezbollah fighters died but later lowered that estimate to 600."
  21. ^ Yossi Melman (19/05/2008). "Israel to Hezbollah: Forget Palestinian prisoners in swap for IDF soldiers". http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israel-to-hezbollah-forget-palestinian-prisoners-in-swap-for-idf-soldiers-1.246116. Retrieved 2011-10-20. 
  22. ^ a b "War Dead Flown to Iran". The New York Sun. 24 July 2006. http://www.nysun.com/foreign/war-dead-flown-to-iran/36557/. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  23. ^ a b http://www.ynetnews.com/Ext/Comp/ArticleLayout/CdaArticlePrintPreview/1,2506,L-3280446,00.html
  24. ^ "State snubbed war victim, family says". Ynet. 2007-08-30. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3443979,00.html. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  25. ^ a b BBC News Online (8 March 2007). "PM 'says Israel pre-planned war'". Retrieved 9 March 2007.
  26. ^ a b c d Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs (12 July 2006). "Hizbullah attacks northern Israel and Israel's response". Retrieved 5 March 2007.
  27. ^ a b "Report of the Commission of Inquiry on Lebanon pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution S-2/1" (PDF). United Nations General Assembly. 23 November 2006. Archived from the original on 30 June 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070630133336/http://www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/specialsession/A.HRC.3.2.pdf. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  28. ^ See Casualties of the 2006 Lebanon War#Foreign civilian casualties in Israel and Casualties of the 2006 Lebanon War#Foreign civilian casualties in Lebanon for a complete and adequately sourced list
  29. ^ "United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)". United Nations. 6 August 2009. http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/unifil/index.shtml. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  30. ^ AFP (2006). "Timeline of the July War 2006". Lebanon: The Daily Star. http://www.dailystar.com.lb/July_War06.asp. Retrieved 15 September. 
  31. ^ See, e.g., Yaakov Katz, "Halutz officers discuss war strategy," Jerusalem Post, 5 Sept. 2006, p. 2
  32. ^ a b New York Times via the International Herald Tribune (12 July 2006). "Clashes spread to Lebanon as Hezbollah raids Israel". Retrieved 16 August 2007.
  33. ^ "Israel buries soldiers recovered in prisoner swap". ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). 18 July 2008. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/07/18/2307095.htm?site=news. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  34. ^ "Goldwasser and Regev Were Killed in Initial Attack". Israel National News. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/150040. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  35. ^ "Israeli warplanes hit Beirut suburb". CNN. 14 July 2006. http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/07/13/mideast/index.html. 
  36. ^ Cody, Edward (24 August 2006). "Lebanese Premier Seeks U.S. Help in Lifting Blockade". Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/23/AR2006082301671.html. 
  37. ^ Urquhart, Conal (11 August 2006). "Computerised weaponry and high morale". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,,1842276,00.html. Retrieved 2006-10-08. 
  38. ^ guardian.co.uk (14 September 2006). "Amnesty report accuses Hizbullah of war crimes". Retrieved 16 July 2008.
  39. ^ Sarah Martin and Kristele Younes, Refugees International (28 August 2006). "Lebanon: Refugees International's Statement for Donors' Conference". Retrieved 16 July 2008.
  40. ^ a b Human Rights Watch (August 2006). "Fatal Strikes: Israel’s Indiscriminate Attacks Against Civilians in Lebanon". Retrieved 2007-04-05.
  41. ^ a b c Lebanon Higher Relief Council (2007). "Lebanon Under Siege". Retrieved 5 March 2007.
  42. ^ a b "Middle East crisis: Facts and Figures". BBC News Online. 31 August 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5257128.stm. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  43. ^ "Israel says it will relinquish positions to Lebanese army". 15 August 2006. http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-08-14-mideast_x.htm. 
  44. ^ "'Million bomblets' in S Lebanon". BBC News Online. 26 September 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5382192.stm. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  45. ^ "Lebanon: UN peacekeepers lay out rules of engagement, including use of force". UN News Centre. 2006-10-03. http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=20106&Cr=Leban&Cr1=. 
  46. ^ Pannell, Ian (9 September 2006). "Lebanon breathes after the blockade". BBC News Online. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5330766.stm. Retrieved 13 July 2008. 
  47. ^ UN peacekeepers: Israeli troops still in Lebanon, CNN
  48. ^ Spiegel Online (16 August 2006). "Who Will Disarm Hezbollah?". Retrieved 10 January 2007.
  49. ^ People's Daily Online (19 August 2006). "Indonesia refuses to help disarm Hezbollah in Lebanon". Retrieved 10 January 2007.
  50. ^ International Herald Tribune (18 September 2006). "UN commander says his troops will not disarm Hezbollah". Archived from original at 14 February 2007.
  51. ^ Chronology for Druze in Lebanon UNHCR Retrieved 26th May 2011
  52. ^ "Arab-Israeli Conflict". Arab-Israeli Conflict. Encarta Encyclopedia. http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761588322_2/Arab-Israeli_Conflict.html#s6. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  53. ^ Who are Hezbollah? BBC News
  54. ^ "Hassan Nasrallah". Hassan Nasrallah. Encarta Encyclopedia. http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_701835564/Nasrallah_Hassan.html. Retrieved 2007-03-19. 
  55. ^ UN Chief Says Israel Is Completely Out Of Lebanon, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 17 June 2000
  56. ^ "What the Struggle Over a Cease-Fire Could Mean for US-Israeli Unilateralism". Institute for Palestinian Studies. http://71.18.226.238/final/en/bn/viewbndetails.php?bnid=13. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  57. ^ Levin, Andrea (8 August 2006). "Death and destruction are Hezbollah's goals". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on 2009-05-16. http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2006/08/08/death_and_destruction_are_hezbollahs_goals/. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  58. ^ a b Amos Harel, “Chronicle of Disaster,” 18 July 2008, www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1003170.html
  59. ^ Dudkevitch, Paratrooper Sniper Becomes Hero, Jerusalem Post Online Edition, 22 November 2005.
  60. ^ a b c d "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. 21 July 2006. http://domino.un.org/unispal.NSF/fd807e46661e3689852570d00069e918/87e2508779d8ec83852571b6004c761f. 
  61. ^ "Day-by-day: Lebanon crisis — week one". BBC News Online. 19 July 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5179434.stm. 
  62. ^ Harel, Amos (2008-04-02). "Hezbollah kills 8 soldiers, kidnaps two in offensive on northern border - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News". Haaretz.com. http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/hezbollah-kills-8-soldiers-kidnaps-two-in-offensive-on-northern-border-1.192965. Retrieved 2011-05-17. 
  63. ^ a b c Wilson, Scott (21 October 2006). "Israeli War Plan Had No Exit Strategy". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/20/AR2006102001688.html. 
  64. ^ "Israel/Lebanon Under fire: Hizbullah’s attacks on northern Israel". Amnesty International. 14 September 2006. Archived from the original on 2006-09-19. http://web.archive.org/web/20060919183058/http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE020252006. Retrieved 27 September 2006. 
  65. ^ a b "Press Conference with Hasan Nasrallah". Understanding the present crisis. UPC. 12 July 2006. Archived from the original on 13 November 2006. http://web.archive.org/web/20061113080502/http://www.upc.org.uk/hasann12jul06.html. Retrieved 13 July 2008. 
  66. ^ "Who are the Mid-East prisoners?". BBC News Online. 26 July 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5211930.stm. Retrieved 6 October 2006. 
  67. ^ "Hizbullah leader calls for prisoner exchange". Al Bawaba. 12 July 2006. http://www.albawaba.com/en/countries/Palestine/200711. Retrieved 13 July 2008. -
  68. ^ Urquhart, Conal (2006-07-12). "Israelis invade Lebanon after soldiers are seized". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,,1818696,00.html. Retrieved 2006-09-26. 
  69. ^ "Olmert: We were attacked by a sovereign country". Ynetnews. 2006-07-12. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3274385,00.html. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  70. ^ "PM Olmert: Lebanon is responsible and will bear the consequences". Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 12 July 2006. http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Communiques/2006/PM+Olmert+-+Lebanon+is+responsible+and+will+bear+the+consequences+12-Jul-2006.htm. Retrieved 2010-09-21. 
  71. ^ Fletcher, Martin (12 July 2006). "Regional tensions fuel Lebanon-Israel clashes". MSNBC. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13827858/. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  72. ^ Alon, Gideon; Aluf Benn, Amos Harel, and Yoav Stern (13 July 2006). "Israel holds Lebanon government responsible for Hezbollah attack". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 2006-07-15. http://web.archive.org/web/20060715095803/http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=737687&contrassID=1&subContrassID=0&sbSubContrassID=0. Retrieved 2006-08-13. 
  73. ^ "Statement by Prime Minister Fouad Siniora". The Manila Times. 2006-07-17. Archived from the original on 15 October 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071015180358/http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2006/aug/02/yehey/opinion/20060802opi7.html. Retrieved 2006-09-26. 
  74. ^ a b "Statement by Prime Minister Fouad Siniora". Daily Star (Lebanon) (registration required). 17 July 2006. http://dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=74027. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  75. ^ 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). Archived from the original on 2006-07-14. http://web.archive.org/web/20060714183432/http://dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=73930. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  76. ^ "Chronology - Events in Middle East". China Radio International. 8 August 2006. http://english.cri.cn/3126/2006/08/08/266@124092.htm. Retrieved 2008-05-05. 
  77. ^ Daily Star. "Timeline of the July War 2006"
  78. ^ a b Amos Harel and Avi Issascharoff, Korey Akavish, Sipura shel Mmilchemet Levanon (Tel Aviv: Yedi’ot Aharonot, 2008), pp. 179–81
  79. ^ a b Benn, Aluf (2008-04-02). "Report: IAF wiped out 59 Iranian missile launchers in 34 minutes". Haaretz Daily Newspaper. http://www.haaretz.com/news/report-iaf-wiped-out-59-iranian-missile-launchers-in-34-minutes-1.203252. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  80. ^ "Operation "Just Reward"--the Response of the IDF to Hezbollah Aggression from Lebanese Territory". Israeli Prime Minister's Office. 12 July 2006. http://www.pmo.gov.il/PMO/Government/Decisions/2006/07/des258.htm. Retrieved 2007-03-19. 
  81. ^ a b Associated Press (12 July 2006). "Israel authorizes 'severe' response to abductions". CNN. Archived from the original on 5 March 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070305101409/http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/07/12/mideast/index.html. Retrieved 23 September 2007. 
  82. ^ a b Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs (12 July 2006). "Special Cabinet Communiqué - Hizbullah attack". Retrieved 2007-04-08.
  83. ^ Wright, Robin; Thomas E. Ricks (19 July 2006). "Bush Supports Israel's Move Against Hezbollah". Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/18/AR2006071801436_pf.html. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  84. ^ "Cabinet Communiqué". Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 16 July 2006. http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Communiques/2006/Cabinet+Communique+16-Jul-2006.htm. Retrieved 2007-03-03. 
  85. ^ Farrel, Stephen (2 August 2006). "The Times interview with Ehud Olmert: full transcript". The Times (UK). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,251-2296832,00.html. Retrieved 13 August 2006. 
  86. ^ a b c "Mideast War, by the numbers". Washington Post. Associated Press. 2006-08-18. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/17/AR2006081700909_pf.html. Retrieved 2010-09-21. 
  87. ^ a b c d e "Hizballah's Rocket Campaign Against Northern Israel: A Preliminary Report". Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. 2006-08-31. http://www.jcpa.org/brief/brief006-10.htm. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  88. ^ "Hezbollah's rocket force". BBC News Online. 2006-07-18. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5187974.stm. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  89. ^ a b c d "The war in numbers". Jane's Defence Weekly. 23 August 2006. 
  90. ^ "Major Attacks in Lebanon, Israel and the Gaza Strip". New York Times. 14 August 2006. http://www.nytimes.com/packages/khtml/2006/07/19/world/middleeast/20060719_MIDEAST_GRAPHIC.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1153331904-rs3WIKv7XWZoOl6M03+JNA%20Major%20Attacks%20in%20Lebanon,%20Israel%20and%20the%20Gaza%20Strip. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  91. ^ Greenberg, Hannan; Neta Sela, Aviram Zino, and Ahiya Raved (14 July 2006). "Woman, grandson killed in Meron rocket attack". Ynetnews. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3275609,00.html. Retrieved 13 July 2008. 
  92. ^ "Long-range rocket lands near Jenin". Ynetnews. 2 August 2006. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3285259,00.html. 
  93. ^ "Glossary of Key Terms/Events in Israel's History". Anti-Defamation League. 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-05-16. http://www.adl.org/Israel/advocacy/glossary/Lebanon_War_2006.asp. Retrieved 2009-05-07. 
  94. ^ a b c Erlanger, Steven; OPPEL Jr, RICHARD A. (7 August 2006). "A Disciplined Hezbollah Surprises Israel With Its Training, Tactics and Weapons". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/07/world/middleeast/07hezbollah.html. 
  95. ^ "The Jamestown Foundation: single". Jamestown.org. http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%DD=860. Retrieved 2011-05-29. 
  96. ^ Frank Gardner (3 August 2006). "Hezbollah missile threat assessed". BBC News Online. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5242566.stm. Retrieved 13 July 2008. 
  97. ^ Tal, Avraham (31 July 2006). "Justified, essential and timely". Haaretz. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/743763.html. Retrieved 14 August 2006. 
  98. ^ "Hezbollah rockets kill 9 in Israeli city". Associated Press. 16 July 2006. http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2197746&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312. 
  99. ^ a b c d e f "Hizballah Rockets". GlobalSecurity.org. July 2006. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/para/hizballah-rockets.htm. Retrieved 13 July 2008. 
  100. ^ "Hizbullah: One of the rockets is a Ra'ad 1". Ynetnews. 16 July 2006. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3276411,00.html. 
  101. ^ "Hizbullah leader promises enemy 'more surprises'". Islamic Resistance Lebanon. 17 July 2006. http://www.alghaliboun.net/english/_previousinterv.php?filename=20060716194337. 
  102. ^ "Nasrallah urges Arabs to leave Haifa". USA Today. 9 August 2006. http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-08-09-mideast-nasrallah_x.htm. Retrieved 13 July 2008. 
  103. ^ "Israel's war With Iran" by Ze'ev Schiff, Foreign Affairs, November–December 2006, pp. 26–27.
  104. ^ Worth, Robert F. (14 November 2006). "Somalian Military Support to Hezbollah". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/15/world/middleeast/15nations.html. Retrieved 2008-05-28. 
  105. ^ "Accuracy of New UN Report on Somalia Doubtful". The Jamestown Foundation.. 21 November 2006. Archived from the original on 18 December 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071218230908/http://jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2370213. Retrieved 2008-05-28. 
  106. ^ "Mideast War, by the numbers". The Washington Post. Associated Press. 2006-08-18. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/17/AR2006081700909_pf.html. Retrieved 2011-05-11. 
  107. ^ "Lebanon Refuses Contact With Israel". Associated Press. 2006-08-30. http://www8.gmanews.tv/story/14275/world/lebanon-refuses-contact-with-israel. Retrieved 2011-05-13. 
  108. ^ Fickling, David (2006-08-23). "Amnesty report accuses Israel of war crimes". Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,,1856587,00.html. Retrieved 2006-09-03. 
  109. ^ "Crayons, glass, litter floor of Lebanese school". Reuters AlertNet. 2006-08-30. Archived from the original on 2006-11-21. http://web.archive.org/web/20061025033044/mobile.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L24160480.htm. Retrieved 2006-09-03. 
  110. ^ Hirst, David: Beware of Small States - Lebanon: Battleground of the Middle East
  111. ^ Shabbat Times (13.07.06). "Hezbollah kills 8 soldiers, kidnaps two in offensive on northern border". Haaretz. Israel. http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/hezbollah-kills-8-soldiers-kidnaps-two-in-offensive-on-northern-border-1.192965. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  112. ^ "Israel battles militants on two fronts". Reuters. 13 July 2006. http://www.talktalk.co.uk/news/topnews/reuters/2006/07/13/israel-battles-militants-on-two-fronts.html?page=1. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  113. ^ Hasson, Nir; Jack Khoury, Amos Harel, Aluf Benn, and Gideon Alon (14 July 2006). "Israel targets Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut suburb". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 2008-06-04. http://web.archive.org/web/20080604075818/http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=737860&contrassID=1&subContrassID=0&sbSubContrassID=0. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  114. ^ a b c d Porat, Elisha (15 July 2006). "Martial law declared in the North". Jerusalem Post. Israel. http://www.jpost.com/Home/Article.aspx?id=28192. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  115. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "Israel-Hizbullah conflict: Victims of rocket attacks and IDF casualties". Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 2006. http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Terrorism+from+Lebanon-+Hizbullah/Israel-Hizbullah+conflict-+Victims+of+rocket+attacks+and+IDF+casualties+July-Aug+2006.htm. Retrieved 21 September 2010. 
  116. ^ "Hezbollah leader vows 'open war'". BBC News Online. 15 July 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/5182048.stm. 
  117. ^ "Israeli Attacks Increase; Hezbollah Vows ‘Open War’". NPR. 14 July 2006. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5557835. 
  118. ^ Katz, Yaakov (6 August 2006). "Navy ship redeploys following attack". The Jerusalem Post. http://www.jpost.com/Home/Article.aspx?id=30757. Retrieved 2010-09-21. 
  119. ^ "Israel destroys Hezbollah chief's HQ". Mail & Guardian Online. 15 July 2006. http://www.mg.co.za/article/2006-07-15-israel-destroys-hezbollah-chiefs-hq. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  120. ^ Roee, Namias (15 July 2006). "IDF: We destroyed Lebanon's coastal radars". Yedioth Ahronoth. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3276136,00.html. 
  121. ^ [1]
  122. ^ "2 wounded in Hezbollah strike on Haifa". Associated Press. 17 July 2006. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1Y1-95628160.html. 
  123. ^ "Israel hammers at Lebanese infrastructure". Associated Press. 17 July 2006. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/L/LEBANON_ISRAEL?SITE=NYPLA&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&SECTION=HOME. 
  124. ^ 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. PMC 1523453. PMID 16873840. http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/extract/333/7561/217-b. Retrieved 13 July 2008. 
  125. ^ a b John Pike. "Operation Change of Direction". Globalsecurity.org. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/lebanon-change-of-direction-chron1.htm. Retrieved 2011-05-17. 
  126. ^ "Israeli incursion continues". BBC. 20 July 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5197186.stm. Retrieved 20 July 2006. 
  127. ^ Asthana, Anushka (21 July 2006). "Israel calls up reservists for push into Lebanon". The Times (UK). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article690865.ece. 
  128. ^ Israeli helicopter pilot dies in border collision, Euronews, 21 July 2006
  129. ^ http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3279679,00.html
  130. ^ "Israel 'seizes' Hezbollah village". BBC News Online. 23 July 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5206966.stm. 
  131. ^ Katz, Yaakov. Friendly fire may have downed Apache, Jerusalem Post, 25 July 2006
  132. ^ Greenburg, Hanan. Officer, soldier killed in Lebanon battle, Ynetnews, 25 July 2006
  133. ^ "Fighting rages as Israel besieges Hezbollah border HQ". The Daily Star. 25 July 2006. http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=74247#axzz0rjoTAgjL. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  134. ^ Scheindlin, Dahlia (2011-05-06). "4 peacekeepers wounded in IDF-Hizbullah crossfire". Jpost.com. http://www.jpost.com. Retrieved 2011-05-17. 
  135. ^ "Bint Jbeil: Hezbollah heartland". BBC News Online. 27 July 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5221086.stm. 
  136. ^ a b Katz, Yaakov (26 July 2006).8 soldiers killed in Battle of Bint Jbail, Jerusalem Post
  137. ^ "Israeli bomb kills UN observers". BBC News. 26 July 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5215366.stm. 
  138. ^ "Soldier missing at UN border post, presumed dead". CTV television network. 26 July 2006. http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/print/CTVNews/20060725/israel_fighting_060726/20060726/?hub=World&subhub=PrintStory. 
  139. ^ "Israel readies more troops for Lebanon conflict". The Daily Star. 28 July 2006. http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=74322. Retrieved 21 September 2010. 
  140. ^ "20 terrorists killed in Bint Jbeil". Ynetnews.com. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3283076,00.html. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  141. ^ "ynet הצנחנים שבו לבינת ג'ביל והרגו 20 מחבלים - חדשות היום". Ynet.co.il. http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3283010,00.html. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  142. ^ By Ze'ev Schiff, Amos Harel and Agencies. "IAF hits road on Lebanon-Syria border". Haaretz Daily Newspaper. http://www.haaretz.com/news/iaf-hits-road-on-lebanon-syria-border-1.193993. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  143. ^ "Israel/Lebanon: Qana Death Toll at 28". Human Rights Watch. 2006-08-02. http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2006/08/02/lebano13899.htm. Retrieved 2008-10-23. 
  144. ^ "IDF hacks Nasrallah's TV channel - Israel News, Ynetnews". Ynetnews.com. 1995-06-20. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3283866,00.html. Retrieved 2011-05-17. 
  145. ^ Harel, Amos (1 August 2006). Three soldiers killed, 25 wounded in fighting close to Lebanese border, Haaretz
  146. ^ "Lebanon: Israel's Strategic Raid on Baalbek". Stratfor. 2 August 2006. http://www.stratfor.com/lebanon_israels_strategic_raid_baalbek. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  147. ^ "Lebanese Hezbollah warns of rocket attacks at Tel Aviv if Beirut struck", People's Daily, 4 August 2006
  148. ^ (Hebrew) "Mabat", IBA, 3 August 2006
  149. ^ Raved, Ahiya (4 August 2006). "For first time: Hizbullah targets Hadera area". Ynetnews. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3286401,00.html. Retrieved 13 July 2008. 
  150. ^ Efrat Weiss, Tyre raid “heroic operation,” 8/5/06, Ynetnews.com
  151. ^ a b Oppel Jr, Richard A.; Myre, Greg (7 August 2006). "Rocket Barrage Kills 15 Israelis Close to Border". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/07/world/middleeast/07mideast.html?_r=1&fta=y&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  152. ^ "14 Hezbollah fighters killed in heavy exchanges of fire with IDF ground troops". Mathaba.net. http://www.mathaba.net/news/?x=541361?related. Retrieved 2011-05-17. 
  153. ^ "Katz, Hezbollah UAV shot down off Acre coast". The Jerusalem Post. 8/6/6. http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1154525825097. 
  154. ^ "IDF Operations on 26th Day of Fighting". Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSq2Mp65ZU4&feature=channel. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  155. ^ "IDF broadcasts Hizbullah's dead on al-Manar - Israel News, Ynetnews". Ynetnews.com. 1995-06-20. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3288442,00.html. Retrieved 2011-05-17. 
  156. ^ "Security and Defense: Coordinating capabilities". Jerusalem Post. 2011-08-12. http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=233506. Retrieved 2011-08-12. 
  157. ^ "Israel studies CH-53 shoot-down". Flightglobal. 2006-08-06. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2006/08/22/208558/israel-studies-ch-53-shoot-down.html. Retrieved 2011-08-12. 
  158. ^ Greenberg, Hanan (12 August 2006). "Chief of staff: We tripled our forces in southern Lebanon". Haaretz. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3290077,00.html. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  159. ^ Katz, Yaakov (12 August 2006). "IDF troops advancing to Litani River". Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. http://web.archive.org/web/20070929212547/http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1154525855062&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  160. ^ "24 soldiers killed in South Lebanon Saturday". Jerusalem Post. 12 August 2006. http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1154525858767&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull. 
  161. ^ "Hezbollah downs Israeli helicopter". Al Jazeera. 2006-03-16. http://english.aljazeera.net/news/archive/archive?ArchiveId=25091. 
  162. ^ Lloyd de Vries, Lloyd (13 August 2006) War Rages Ahead Of Cease-Fire, CBS News
  163. ^ "Eshel, Israel intercepts two attack UAVs launched by Hezbollah". Defense Update. 8/14/9. http://defense-update.com/2006/08/israel-intercept-two-attack-uav.html. 
  164. ^ "Strategy Page, Hizbollah cruise missiles shot down". Strateypage.com. 8/15/6. http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htairfo/articles/20060815.aspx. 
  165. ^ Porat, Elisha (29 August 2006). "Wadi Saluki battle - microcosm of war's mistakes". Jerusalem Post. Israel. http://www.jpost.com/Home/Article.aspx?id=33202. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  166. ^ Greenberg, Hanan (16 August 2006). "IDF: Senior Hizbullah man killed before truce". Ynetnews. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3291852,00.html. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  167. ^ "UNRWA Strongly Condemns the Killing of its Staff Member" (PDF). UNRWA. 15 August 2006. Archived from the original on 25 June 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080625015308/http://www.un.org/unrwa/news/releases/pr-2006/leb_15aug06.pdf. Retrieved 13 July 2008. 
  168. ^ "CNN.com - Lebanon truce holds despite clashes - Aug 15, 2006". CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/08/14/mideast.main/index.html. 
  169. ^ "CNN.com - Monday, August 14–14, 2006". CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/08/14/monday/index.html. 
  170. ^ "IDF: Israeli soldiers kill 3 Hezbollah fighters". CNN.com. 15 August 2006. http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/08/15/tuesday/index.html. 
  171. ^ Janelle, Chantelle (18 August 2006). "Israel flies over Lebanon, but no airstrikes". WIS-TV. http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5300553. Retrieved 2006-08-21. 
  172. ^ a b Cambanis, Thanassis (20 August 2006). "Israeli Raid Endangers Ceasefire Deal". Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2006/08/20/israeli_raid_endangers_cease_fire_deal/. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  173. ^ "Lebanese president gives full backing to Hezbollah". CBC News. 31 July 2006. http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2006/07/28/lahoud-interview.html. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  174. ^ Brown, Matt (11 August 2006). "UN diplomacy may not end conflict: Lebanese President". http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2006/s1712385.htm. 
  175. ^ Ambassador Farid Abboud Interview 12 July 2006
  176. ^ "Behind the Headlines: UN Security Council Resolution 1701". Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 12 August 2006. http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/About%20the%20Ministry/Behind%20the%20Headlines/Behind%20the%20Headlines-%20UN%20Security%20Council%20Resolution%201701%2012-Aug-2006.htm. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  177. ^ "More About the History". The Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 22 August 2006. Archived from the original on 22 January 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070122041725/http://abc.net.au/tv/btn/qanda/. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  178. ^ "Behind the Headlines: Israel's counter terrorist campaign". 15 August 2006. http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/About+the+Ministry/Behind+the+Headlines/Israels+counter+terrorist+campaign+-+FAQ+18-Jul-2006.htm#bombcivilians. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  179. ^ Baker, Peter; Colum Lynch (15 July 2006). "Bush Declines to Call for Israeli Cease-fire". Washington Post: p. A16. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/14/AR2006071401785.html. Retrieved 13 July 2008. 
  180. ^ "Lebanese PM demands ceasefire". ABC News. 15 September 2006. http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2196324. 
  181. ^ "Israeli strikes may boost Hezbollah base". Csmonitor.com. 28 July 2006. http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0728/p06s01-wome.html. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  182. ^ "Civilian Deaths in Lebanon Provoke International Outcry, Israel Suspends Aerial Bombardment". Globalinsight.com. http://www.globalinsight.com/SDA/SDADetail6485.htm. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  183. ^ Bengali, Shashank (9 August 2006), "Lebanese army saddled with several handicaps", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
  184. ^ . http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1223159,00,html. 
  185. ^ Kifner, John; Moumad, Jad (14 August 2006) "In a Political Move, Lebanon Offers an Army That All of Its Sects Can Accept: Its Own", New York Times
  186. ^ a b c Human Rights Watch (19 October 2006). "Lebanon/Israel: Hezbollah Hit Israel with Cluster Munitions During Conflict". Retrieved 11 March 2007.
  187. ^ "UN warning on Mid-East war crimes". BBC News Online. 20 July 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5197544.stm. 
  188. ^ "Study could acquit Israel of war crimes". Associated Press. Jerusalem Post. 5 December 2006. http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1164881823793. 
  189. ^ Amnesty International (13 July 2006). "Israel / Lebanon: End immediately attacks against civilians". Retrieved 29 April 2007.
  190. ^ a b "Israel-Lebanon Evidence indicates deliberate destruction of civilian infrastructure". Amnesty International. 23 August 2006. http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE020182006. 
  191. ^ "UN: Security Council must adopt urgent measures to protect civilians in Israel-Lebanon conflict". Amnesty International. http://news.amnesty.org/index/ENGIOR410122006. 
  192. ^ "Obligations under international humanitarian law of the parties to the conflict in Israel and Lebanon". Amnesty International. 26 July 2006. Archived from the original on 2006-08-14. http://web.archive.org/web/20060814190757/http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/ENGMDE150702006. Retrieved 2006-08-15. 
  193. ^ Ynet News (3 August 2006). "Human rights group accuses Israel of war crimes". Retrieved 7 April 2007.
  194. ^ Bernard Gwertzman (7 August 2006). "Bouckaert: Both Israel and Hezbollah Committing 'War Crimes'". Council on Foreign Relations. http://www.cfr.org/publication/11252/. 
  195. ^ "Lebanon: Hezbollah Rocket Attacks on Haifa Designed to Kill Civilians". Human Rights Watch. 18 July 2006. http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/07/18/lebano13760.htm. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  196. ^ "Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW): First Look at Israel’s Use of Cluster Munitions in Lebanon in July–August 2006". Human Rights Watch. 30 August 2006. http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/08/30/global14155.htm. Retrieved 13 July 2008. 
  197. ^ "UN Chief Accuses Hezbollah of 'Cowardly Blending' Among Refugees". AP via FOXNews.com. 24 July 2006. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,205352,00.html. 
  198. ^ CNN's Barbara Starr and John Vause and journalist Anthony Mills (14 July 2006). "Israeli warplanes hit Beirut suburb". CNN. http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/07/13/mideast/index.html. Retrieved 2007-04-30. 
  199. ^ a b c Greg Myre (5 December 2006). "Offering Video, Israel Answers Critics on War". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/05/world/middleeast/05mideast.html?ex=1322974800&en=b8b25a9e380122ff&ei=5088partner=rssnyt&emc=rss. 
  200. ^ Heyman, Charles (2 June 2006). "Might in the air will not defeat guerillas in this bitter conflict". The Times (UK). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,251-2295625,00.html. Retrieved 2010-03-29. 
  201. ^ Verma, Sonia (5 August 2006). "Hezbollah's deadly hold on heartland: Loved by many, accused by others of sacrificing civilians". CanWest Interactive. http://www.canada.com/components/print.aspx?id=ae679beb-d2be-40a4-8e74-8e581c1bf1ca&k=16670. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  202. ^ Ezra HaLevi (6 December 2006). "Declassified IDF Photos and Footage Expose Hizbullah Tactics". Arutz Sheva. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/116953. Retrieved 13 July 2008. 
  203. ^ "IDF: Hizbullah preventing civilians from leaving villages in southern Lebanon". Ynetnews. 18 July 2006. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3278026,00.html. 
  204. ^ Amnesty International (21 November 2006). "Israel/Lebanon: Further evidence of grave violations in Israel-Hizbullah conflict underlines urgent need for UN inquiry". Retrieved 4 May 2007.
  205. ^ "Fatal Strikes: Israel’s Indiscriminate Attacks Against Civilians in Lebanon". Human Rights Watch. August 2006. http://hrw.org/reports/2006/lebanon0806/2.htm. 
  206. ^ Israel/Lebanon: Israeli Indiscriminate Attacks Killed Most Civilians 6 September 2007
  207. ^ "Illegal attack or legitimate target? Israel attacks Al Manar". Arab Media & Society. February 2007. http://www.arabmediasociety.org/?article=20. 
  208. ^ Boston Globe (24 August 2006). "Amnesty International says Israel committed war crimes". Retrieved 7 September 2007.
  209. ^ a b "Deliberate destruction or "collateral damage"? Israeli attacks on civilian infrastructure". Amnesty International. 23 August 2006. http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engmde180072006. 
  210. ^ "AI: Israel committed war crimes". 27 August 2006. Archived from the original on 2007-08-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20070816190956/http://english.aljazeera.net/English/archive/archive?ArchiveId=35357. 
  211. ^ Chris Link (30 July 2006). "Photos that damn Hezbollah". Sunday Herald Sun. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,,19955774-5007220,00.html. 
  212. ^ Azoulay, Yuval (2007-07-24). "Panel to probe alleged IDF war crimes in Lebanon". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 2007-10-01. http://web.archive.org/web/20071001110707/http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/885676.html. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  213. ^ Associated Press (6 September 2007). "Israel Blamed for Lebanese Civilian Deaths". Retrieved 6 September 2007.
  214. ^ The Independent (7 September 2007). "Hizbollah 'did not use civilians as cover'". Retrieved 7 September 2007.
  215. ^ NOG Monitor (31 January 2008), "Winograd Report: NGOs Use Human Rights in Propaganda War". Accessed 2009-05-07. Archived 2009-05-16.
  216. ^ Haaretz (31 January 2008), "Winograd: Current use of cluster bombs not in line with int'l law"
  217. ^ UNICEF (9 August 2006). "The humanitarian challenge in Lebanon". Retrieved 10 March 2007.
  218. ^ Ken Ellingwood, "Israeli premier testifies on Hezbollah war", Los Angeles Times 2 February 2007: "At least 800 Lebanese and more than 150 Israelis were killed."
  219. ^ Reuters, Associated Press (29 January 2007). "Israel may have misused cluster bombs in Lebanon, U.S. says". International Herald Tribune. http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/29/news/israel.php. 
  220. ^ "Israel completes pullout of troops from Lebanon". International Herald Tribune. Associated Press. 2006-10-01. http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/10/01/news/troops.php. 
  221. ^ "Israel (country)", Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2007. Archived 2009-10-31.
  222. ^ "Lebanon (country)", Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2007. Archived 2009-10-31.
  223. ^ Lebanon Higher Relief Council (21 November 2006). Rebuilding Lebanon Together... 100 days after. Retrieved 31 March 2007.
  224. ^ Lyon, Alistair (27 November 2008). "Israel's Lebanon war showcased cluster bomb horrors". Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE4AQ4CC20081127. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  225. ^ Abraham Rabinovich (27 September 2006). "Retired Israeli generals vent". The Washington Times. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2006/sep/26/20060926-105117-2517r/print/. 
  226. ^ "Lebanon: Hezbollah's Political Regrouping Efforts". http://www.stratfor.com/products/premium/read_article.php?id=273806.  "Sources in Lebanon claim Hezbollah has buried more than 700 fighters so far, with many more to go."
  227. ^ a b Keegan, John, Why Israel will go to war again – soon
  228. ^ Hezbollah holds funeral for militants rerturned in prisoner swap, Associated Press, 18 July 2008
  229. ^ Crooke, Alastair; Perry, Mark (2006-10-13). "How Hezbollah defeated Israel – Part 2: Winning the ground war". Asia Times Online. Archived from the original on 10 June 2009. http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/HJ13Ak01.html. Retrieved 2009-06-06. 
  230. ^ "Moores, A Preliminary Military Assessment of the Lebanon Conflict". Defenseaerospace.com. 8/18/6. http://www.defense-aerospace.com/article-view/feature/72377/a-preliminary-assessment-of-the-lebanon-conflict.html. 
  231. ^ Cordesman, Anthony H. and Sullivan, William D.: Lessons of the 2006 Israeli-Hezbollah War
  232. ^ Coughlin, Daily Telegraph, 4 Aug 2006
  233. ^ Bishop, Daily Telegraph, 22 August 2006
  234. ^ "Iranian Advisers Influence Course of Lebanon/Israel Conflict". Aviationweek.com. 14 August 2006. http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?channel=awst&id=news/aw081406p2.xml. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  235. ^ Moores, A Preliminary Military Assessment of the Lebanon Conflict, defenseaerospace.com, 18 August 2006
  236. ^ a b Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "Israel-Hizbullah conflict: Victims of rocket attacks and IDF casualties". Retrieved 9 March 2007.
  237. ^ "The final Winograd Commission report (Hebrew)". http://go.ynet.co.il/pic/news/vinograd/vinograd.pdf. Retrieved Dec 4 2011. 
  238. ^ "Listing of all Israeli casualties in 2006 Lebanon war with photos". Israel, Prime Minister's Office. unknown. http://www.pmo.gov.il/PMOEng/Communication/IsraelUnderAttack/Lebanon+North/attacklebanonnorth.htm. 
  239. ^ "Listing of all Israeli casualties in 2006 Lebanon war with links to corresponding reports". ynet.co.il. 14 August 2006. http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3288289,00.html. 
  240. ^ http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3443649,00.html
  241. ^ Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director "Hezbollah's Rockets and Civilian Casualties." CounterPunch via Human Rights Watch website 22 September 2006
  242. ^ a b c d Richard Steiner (10 September 2006). "After the bombs, environmental calamity". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. http://www.seattlepi.com/opinion/284404_focussecond10.html. Retrieved 13 July 2008. 
  243. ^ "UN sounds Lebanon oil spill alarm". Al Jazeera. 8 August 2006. http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/09CB9736-6131-403E-A4CA-1033CD1107D5.htm. 
  244. ^ "Crisis talks on Lebanon oil spill". BBC News Online. 16 August 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4798965.stm. 
  245. ^ Kinver, Mark (8 August 2006). "'Damage is done' to Lebanon coast". BBC News Online. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5255966.stm. 
  246. ^ National Geographic (31 July 2006). "Lebanon Oil Spill Makes Animals Casualties of War". Retrieved 8 December 2006.
  247. ^ a b "Rocket Attacks in Kiryat Shmona, Israel; Israel Cabinet Decides Against Expanding Offensive; Ominous New Message From Ayman al- Zawahiri." CNN American Morning. 27 July 2006.CNN.com
  248. ^ "Nature falls victim to Hezbollah rocket attacks". Associated Press. 2 August 2006. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14153579/. Retrieved 13 July 2008. 
  249. ^ "More Press for JNF's Work in the North" (Press release). Jewish National Fund. 9 August 2006. http://www.jnf.net/blogs/securityblanket/2006/08/more_press_for_jnfs_work_in_th/. Retrieved 13 July 2008. 
  250. ^ "Biblical Archaeology society". Archived from the original on 2 June 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070602142346/http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/bswbOOnews_warupdate.html. 
  251. ^ Sharp, Roy (17 September 2006). "Bombs shatter Lebanon's Roman legacy". The Observer (London). http://arts.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1874509,00.html. Retrieved 24 January 2008. 
  252. ^ "UNESCO Mission reports on war damage to cultural heritage in Lebanon". UNESCO. 18 September 2006. http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=34765&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html. Retrieved 24 January 2008. 
  253. ^ Di Paola, Mike (15 August 2006). "Israel-Hezbollah War Endangers Archaeological Sites, Ecosystems". Bloomberg. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aZ.RdJiT_3GY&refer=home. Retrieved 24 January 2008. 
  254. ^ "Flooding South Lebanon". Human Rights Watch. 2008-02-16. http://www.hrw.org/en/node/62428/section/10. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  255. ^ "Israel’s Use of Cluster Bombs Shows Need for Global Ban". Human Rights Watch. 2008-02-17. http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2008/02/17/israel-s-use-cluster-bombs-shows-need-global-ban. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  256. ^ Stevenson, Rachel (12 August 2011). "'I feel like I've saved a life': the women clearing Lebanon of cluster bombs". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/12/lebanon-women-clear-cluster-bombs. 
  257. ^ "Lebanon/Israel: Hezbollah Hit Israel with Cluster Munitions During Conflict". Human Rights Watch. 2006-10-18. http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2006/10/18/lebanonisrael-hezbollah-hit-israel-cluster-munitions-during-conflict. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  258. ^ "Psychological Operations during the Israel-Lebanon War 2006". Psywar.org. http://www.psywar.org/israellebanon.php. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  259. ^ Office of the Press Secretary (2006-07-13). "President Bush and German Chancellor Merkel Participate in Press Availability". The White House. http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2006/07/20060713-4.html. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  260. ^ "Interview with Federal Foreign Minister Steinmeier on the Middle East". German Foreign Office. 2006-07-13. http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/diplo/en/Infoservice/Presse/Interview/2006/060713SteinmeierNahostIranZDF.html. 
  261. ^ David S. Cloud (2006-07-22). "U.S. Speeds Up Bomb Delivery for the Israelis". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/22/world/middleeast/22military.html?ex=1311220800&en=e256f1d8872a835d&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc. 
  262. ^ "Lebanon part of 'war on terror', says Bush". ABC News. 30 July 2006. http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200607/s1700569.htm. 
  263. ^ "Bush: 'Hezbollah suffered a defeat'". CNN. 2006-08-14. http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/08/14/bush/index.html. 
  264. ^ "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 391". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. 20 July 2006. http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll391.xml. Retrieved 2008-07-13. "410:8:4:10" 
  265. ^ Fattah, Hassan M. (17 July 2006). "Arab League criticizes Hezbollah for attacks". International Herald Tribune. http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/07/17/news/arabs.php. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  266. ^ a b "Arab League declares support for Lebanon, calls on UN to step in". Haaretz. 16 July 2006. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=738698&contrassID=1&subContrassID=1. Retrieved 2006-08-13. 
  267. ^ "Saudi sideswipe at Hezbollah". al Jazeera. 15 July 2006. http://english.aljazeera.net/English/archive/archive?ArchiveId=24500. Retrieved 2007-05-01. 
  268. ^ Press Association (28 July 2006). "Ads urge call for Lebanon ceasefire". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,,-5978797,00.html. Retrieved 2006-08-16. 
  269. ^ "Save the Lebanese Civilians Petition". E-petitions.net. 15 July 2006. Archived from the original on 2006-11-24. http://web.archive.org/web/20061124150902/http://epetitions.net/julywar/index.php. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  270. ^ "Lebanon evacuation gathers pace". BBC News Online. 2006-07-18. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5189988.stm. 
  271. ^ "Hezbollah wants an unconditional ceasefire". CTV.ca. 2006-07-17. http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060716/mideast_template_060717/20060717?hub=CTVNewsAt11. 
  272. ^ "Israel sends instructions to Lebanon through Italy". Jerusalem Post. 2006-07-16. http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1164881823793. 
  273. ^ "Bolton admits Lebanon truce block". BBC News Online. 2007-03-22. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6479377.stm. 
  274. ^ "Lebanon truce holds despite clashes". CNN. 2006-08-14. Archived from the original on 2008-06-13. http://web.archive.org/web/20080613073546/http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/08/14/mideast.main/index.html. 
  275. ^ "UN: Cease-fire begins Monday". CNN. 12 August 2006. Archived from the original on 19 August 2006. http://web.archive.org/web/20060819041624/http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/08/12/mideast.main/index.html. Retrieved 2006-08-13. 
  276. ^ "Israel to halt pullout unless Lebanon army deploys". Reuters. 16 August 2006. http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-08-16T130322Z_01_L13492527_RTRUKOC_0_US-MIDEAST.xml&WTmodLoc=NewsArt-L3-Top+NewsNews-2. Retrieved 2006-08-16. 
  277. ^ Blair, David (2006-08-16). "Syria and Iran claim victory over West". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/08/16/wmid116.xml. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  278. ^ a b Fighting with Israel deepens Lebanese divisions over Hezbollah, Associated Press, 15, July 2006
  279. ^ Whittel, Giles (2006-07-29). "To Arabs, he's the new Nasser, but to the West he has become the new Bin Laden". The Times of London. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article694265.ece. Retrieved 2010-04-01. 
  280. ^ "Nasrallah sorry for scale of war". BBC News Online. 27 August 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5291420.stm. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  281. ^ "Hezbollah leader: Militants 'won't surrender arms'". CNN. 22 September 2006. http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/09/22/lebanon.rally. Retrieved 2007-04-30. 
  282. ^ "Lebanese Christian leader: War was disaster, Hezbollah must disarm". Haaretz. 24 September 2006. http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/766373.html. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  283. ^ Bassam, Laila (21 September 2006). "Hizbollah backers gather for Lebanon "victory" rally". Reuters. http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-09-21T223752Z_01_L2115474_RTRUKOC_0_US-MIDEAST-LEBANON.xml&archived=False. 
  284. ^ Beinin, Joel (Fall 2006). "The 2006 Lebanon War and the Israeli Peace Forces". New Insight. Archived from the original on 2009-05-16. http://www.wilberforce.edu/cdsp/cdsp_art1_1.html. Retrieved 2009-05-07. 
  285. ^ Somfalvi, Attila (22 July 2006). "Tel Aviv: Thousands rally against war". Ynetnews. Archived from the original on 2009-05-16. http://www.ynet.co.il/english/articles/0,7340,L-3279792,00.html. Retrieved 2009-05-07. 
  286. ^ "With guns silent, wartime unity unravels in Israel". International Herald Tribune. 2006-08-18. http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/08/18/africa/web.0818israel.php. 
  287. ^ Matthew Kalman (27 August 2006). "Israeli war protests echo 1973". San Francisco Chronicle. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2006/08/27/MNG5TKQ8UG1.DTL&type=politics. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  288. ^ http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Columnists/Article.aspx?id=228892
  289. ^ "Olmert: Mistakes made in Lebanon war". United Press International. 14 August 2006. http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060814-032625-7313r. 
  290. ^ "PM Olmert’s Speech at the Knesset Regarding the War in the North". Office of the Prime Minister of Israel. 14 August 2006. Archived from the original on 2007-02-10. http://web.archive.org/web/20070210035841/http://www.pmo.gov.il/PMOEng/Communication/PMSpeaks/speechknes140806.htm. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  291. ^ "Israel army chief admits failures". BBC News. 24 August 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5282548.stm. 
  292. ^ "Stocks scandal spells doom of embattled Israeli army chief". Agence France-Presse. 16 August 2006. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060816/wl_mideast_afp/mideastconflictisrael_060816134450. 
  293. ^ a b "Yoman", Israel Broadcasting Authority, 25 August 2006 (Hebrew)
  294. ^ "Hundreds support protesting reservists", Ynetnews, 24 August 2006
  295. ^ "Olmert: An inquiry commission will not be formed, we do not have the luxury to submerge in investigating the past", Haaretz, 28 August 2006 (Hebrew)
  296. ^ "Mabat", Israel Broadcasting Authority, 28 August 2006 (Hebrew)
  297. ^ CBN.com
  298. ^ "Halutz disputes officer's remarks that Israel lost war". Haaretz. 2006-09-22. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/766154.html. 
  299. ^ Amos Harel (4 October 2006). "IDF general urges army chief to quit his post over 'failure' of war". Haaretz. http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/770328.html. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  300. ^ Peretz backs Halutz on dismissal of Major General Yiftah Ron-Tal, Haaretz
  301. ^ Zisser, Nasrallah’s Defeat in the 2006 War: Assessing Hezbollah’s Influence, 23 January 2009
  302. ^ "Israel’s War With Hezbollah Was Not A Failure". Forward.com. http://www.forward.com/articles/12579/. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  303. ^ "Israel's Barak says Hezbollah stronger than ever: report". AFP. 7 January 2008. http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gZEvvDWHJCrybf38T2Ylf0aplRXw. Retrieved 2009-11-21. 
  304. ^ "Barak warns Lebanese government". Ynetnews.com. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3810160,00.html. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  305. ^ Katz, Yaakov. "Analysis: Teheran is restraining an already wary Hizbullah". Fr.jpost.com. http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1253198148634&pagename=JPArticle%2FShowFull. Retrieved 2011-05-29. 
  306. ^ Sofer, Ronny (2007-03-25). "Cabinet approves war's name". Ynetnews. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3380792,00.html. Retrieved 2007-06-03. 
  307. ^ "Forward.com". Forward.com. http://www.forward.com/articles/12579/. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  308. ^ Amridor, Misreading the Second Lebanon War, 16 January 2007, www.JCPA.org
  309. ^ Friedman, The Arab Commission, New York Times, 5/9/07
  310. ^ "English Summary of the Winograd Commission Report". The New York Times. 30 January 2008. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/30/world/middleeast/31winograd-web.html. 
  311. ^ a b "President Discusses Foreign Policy During Visit to State Department". White House. 14 August 2006. http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2006/08/20060814-3.html. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  312. ^ Hilary Leila Krieger (9 November 2010). "Abbas was ready to back Olmert deal, Bush memoir says". The Jerusalem Post. http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=194538. Retrieved 2010-11-09. 
  313. ^ Nedra Pickler (15 August 2006). "Bush: Hezbollah lost the war; it was part of broader global struggle". The Denver Post. http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_4180464. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  314. ^ "Speech of President Bashar al-Assad at Journalists Union 4th Conference". Syrian Arab News Agency. 15 August 2006. http://www.sana.sy/eng/21/2006/08/15/57835.htm. Retrieved 2008-05-05. 
  315. ^ "Hizbullah's shallow victory". The Economist. 19 August 2006. http://www.economist.com/opinion/displayStory.cfm?Story_ID=E1_SSJGSJD. 
  316. ^ Matthews, Matt (2007) (PDF). We Were Caught Unprepared: The 2006 Hezbollah-Israeli War. Fort Leavenworth, Kansas: Combat Institute Studies Press. ISBN 978-0-16-079899-3. Archived from the original on 2009-08-14. http://www-cgsc.army.mil/carl/download/csipubs/matthewsOP26.pdf. Retrieved 2009-08-10. . Retrieved 2009-08-10.
  317. ^ Congressional Research Service, 2006 Lebanon: The Israel-Hamas-Hezbollah Conflict
  318. ^ "Hunting for Hezbollah." Norman, Louise. This World. British Broadcasting Corp. 4 July 2007. Television.
  319. ^ Krauthammer, Hezbollah's 'Victory', 9/1/06
  320. ^ Young, Hoodwinked by Hezbollah
  321. ^ Lutttwak, Again, Israeli gloom is misplaced
  322. ^ Simms, Hezbollah have suffered a setback, Social Affairs Unit, 24 August 2006
  323. ^ Totten, Michael, Who Really Won the Second Lebanon War, 30 January 2009
  324. ^ "2 Different Wars - Israel and Hezbollah both declared victory". Youtube. 2006-08-14. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWC1F9Qdc_8. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  325. ^ "UNDP in Lebanon". United Nations Development Programme. January 2007. http://www.undp.org.lb/about/AboutLebanon.cfm. Retrieved 2008-05-15. 
  326. ^ "Factbox - Costs of war and recovery in Lebanon and Israel". Reuters. 9 July 2007. http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L08225712.htm. Retrieved 2008-05-15. 
  327. ^ Sharon Wrobel (1 January 2007). "2006 GDP growth tops forecasts". Jerusalem Post. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/jpost/access/1188773011.html?dids=1188773011:1188773011&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jan+1%2C+2007&author=SHARON+WROBEL&pub=Jerusalem+Post&edition=&startpage=15&desc=2006+GDP+growth+tops+forecasts. Retrieved 2008-05-12. 
  328. ^ Julian Borger (15 August 2006). "Lebanon war cost Israel $1.6bn". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2006/aug/15/israelandthepalestinians.lebanon. Retrieved 2008-05-12. 
  329. ^ "Lebanon's fragile unity shatters". Kuwait Times. 21 August 2006. http://www.kuwaittimes.net/Navariednews.asp?dismode=article&artid=2015876870. 
  330. ^ "Keshev - Keshev Publications". Archived from the original on 2009-08-05. http://www.keshev.org.il/siteEn/FullNews.asp?NewsID=125&CategoryID=9). Retrieved 2009-08-01. 
  331. ^ a b c d e ""WAR TO THE LAST MOMENT" - The Israeli Media in the Second Lebanon War" (PDF). http://www.keshev.org.il/FileUpload/KESHEV-ENGLISH-ABSTRACT-LEBANON-WAR.pdf. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  332. ^ Tom Gross (2 August 2006). "Media Missiles: Working for the enemy". National Review. http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YjVlMmRjNDllNzhkZmE1OWM3NmE1OGQ4OGQxMDA1YjQ=. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  333. ^ a b "CNN Reliable Sources, Coverage of Mideast Conflict". CNN. 2006-07-23. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0607/23/rs.01.html. 
  334. ^ "Our very strange day with Hezbollah". CNN. 2006-07-23. http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/anderson.cooper.360/blog/archives/2006_07_23_ac360_archive.html. 
  335. ^ "Reuters withdraws all photos by Lebanese freelance". Reuters via Digital Photo Pro. 7 August 2006. http://www.digitalphotopro.com/dppthisweek/2006/08/08/reuters-withdraws-all-photos-by-lebanese-freelance. Retrieved 2007-04-30. 
  336. ^ Steve Herrmann (BBC Editor) (8 August 2006). "Trusting photos". BBC News Online editors' blog. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/2006/08/trusting_photos.html. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  337. ^ Mark Memmott (9 August 2006). "Reuters: Adnan Hajj is not still taking photos for us". USA Today editors' blog. http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2006/08/reuters_adnan_h.html. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  338. ^ "IDF: Hours after cease-fire, 4 clashes between Hezbollah and Israeli troops; 4 Hezbollah fighters killed". CNN. 14 August 2006. http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/08/14/monday/index.html. Retrieved 2006-08-23. 
  339. ^ "IDF: Israeli soldiers kill 3 Hezbollah fighters". CNN. 15 August 2006. http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/08/15/tuesday/index.html. Retrieved 2006-08-23. 
  340. ^ "Hezbollah Rockets Fall Inside Southern Lebanon As Citizens Return to Region". Associated Press. Fox News. 15 August 2006. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,208372,00.html. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  341. ^ Janelle, Chantelle (18 August 2006). "Israel flies over Lebanon, but no airstrikes". WIS-TV. http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5300553. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  342. ^ Four Hezbollah fighters killed in ceasefire breaches: UN- Agence France-Presse (via Yahoo!). 16 August 2006
  343. ^ a b "Israel: Raid targets weapons transfer". CNN. 19 August 2006. http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/08/19/mideast.main.05/. Retrieved 2006-08-21. 
  344. ^ "Israeli Commando Dies in Lebanon Raid". Associated Press. 19 August 2006. Archived from the original on 16 February 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080216093616/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5674288. Retrieved 2006-08-27. 
  345. ^ "Israel's raid in the Bekaa Valley". BBC News. 20 August 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5268870.stm. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  346. ^ Struck, Doug (21 August 2006). "Plans for Lebanon Force Faulted". Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/20/AR2006082000149.html. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  347. ^ Morales, Alex (20 August 2006). "Kofi Annan declares Israeli raid violation of ceasefire". CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/08/19/mideast.main/index.html. Retrieved 2006-08-21. 
  348. ^ IDF checking French claim its UN troops almost fired at IAF jets, AP in Haaretz
  349. ^ De Quetteville, Harry; Hirst, Michael (27 August 2006). "UN won't stop Syria sending weapons to Lebanon". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/08/27/wleb27.xml. Retrieved 2010-03-29. 
  350. ^ "UN urges Israel to end blockade". BBC News Online. 29 August 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5296314.stm. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  351. ^ Dakroub, Hussein (2006-09-09). "Israel ends naval blockade of Lebanon". Toronto Star/AP. http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1157753409537&call_pageid=968332188854&col=968350060724. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  352. ^ Ynet report, Haaretz report
  353. ^ We still have 20,000 rockets, says Nasrallah, The Guardian
  354. ^ "Israel pulls remaining troops out of Lebanon". Agence France Presse. France. http://www.afp.com/english/news/stories/061001095059.wbg4ykzg.html. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  355. ^ UN peacekeepers: Israeli troops still in Lebanon, CNN
  356. ^ "UN hails Israel's Lebanon pullout". BBC News. 1 October 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5396966.stm. 
  357. ^ Israel violates Lebanese airspace, launches mock raids
  358. ^ "Israeli warplanes violate Lebanese airspace again". Dailystar.com.lb. 2006-10-04. http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=75903. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  359. ^ "Israel To Continue Lebanon Overflights". All Headline News. 4 October 2006. http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7005063128. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  360. ^ (French) L'armée française au Liban se sent menacée par Israël, Le Figaro
  361. ^ "Germany, Israel confirm naval vessel-planes incident". Telugu Portal. October 2006. http://www.teluguportal.net/modules/news/article.php?storyid=18958. 
  362. ^ "Germany, Israel confirm naval vessel-planes incident". Middle East News. October 2006. http://news.monstersandcritics.com/middleeast/article_1214671.php/Germany_Israel_confirm_naval_vessel-planes_incident. 
  363. ^ "Israel denies firing shots at German ship". Ynetnews. October 2006. http://story.malaysiasun.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/b8de8e630faf3631/id/ba4623e8cf1e387d/. 
  364. ^ a b c "Annan: Israel's actions compromise efforts to stabilize the Israeli-Lebanon border". International Herald Tribune. 2009-03-29. http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/12/02/news/UN_GEN_UN_Lebanon_Peacekeepers.php. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  365. ^ a b Ynet News (2 December 2006). "Annan finds 13 incidents of illicit arms in Lebanon". Retrieved 8 December 2006.
  366. ^ The Daily Star (4 December 2006). "UN secretary general's update to the Security Council on Resolution 1701". Retrieved 8 December 2006.
  367. ^ (Hebrew) "אולמרט: צר לי מאוד על התפטרות הרמטכ"ל", YNet, 2007-01-17.
  368. ^ Steven Gutkin (2007-05-01). "War report sharply criticizes Olmert". Associated Press via ABC News. http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=3101972. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  369. ^ "Nasrallah "respects" Israel for damning war report". Associated Press via Al-Jazeera. 3 May 2007. http://www.aljazeera.com/me.asp?service_ID=13342. 
  370. ^ Porat, Elisha (2007-02-21). "Lebanese army fires at Israeli UAV". Jerusalem Post. Israel. http://www.jpost.com/Home/Article.aspx?id=52232. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  371. ^ Report of the secretary general on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701, The Daily Star. 30 June 2007.
  372. ^ Zisser, Nasrallah’s Defeat in the 2006 War, 23 January 2009, Netwmd.com
  373. ^ Powell, Robyn; Chivers, Tom (13 February 2008). "Israel denies assassinating Hizbollah chief". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1578556/Israel-denies-assassinating-Hizbollah-chief.html. 
  374. ^ Greenberg, Military Intelligence: Hizbullah lost its number one figure, ynetnews.com, 13 February 2008
  375. ^ Benhorin, UN official: Arms Cache that exploded in Lebanon was Hezbollah’s, ynetnews.com, 23 July 2009
  376. ^ By Jpost.Com Staff (2009-07-27). "Lebanon: July 14 explosion came from abandoned IDF munitions". Jerusalem Post. http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1248277901293&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull. Retrieved 2011-05-29. 
  377. ^ Associated Press, Hezbollah: Lebanon blast set off by old shells, 22 July 2009
  378. ^ Nahmias, Traces of chemical weapons found in Hezbollah warehouse, ynetnews.com, 9 September 2009, ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,l-3771736,00.html
  379. ^ Lebanese villagers recorded driving away Hezbollah men, Ynetnews.com, 25 August 2009
  380. ^ "Iran and Hizballah: Significance of the Francop Interception". Washingtoninstitute.org. http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC05.php?CID=3139. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  381. ^ Hezbollah denies link to arms ship
  382. ^ ":: مقاومت - Lebanon fires at intruding Israeli jets ::". Moqavemat.ir. http://www.moqavemat.ir/?a=content.id&id=10788. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  383. ^ "Israel again buzzes German ships near Lebanon". World Tribune.com. http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/06/front2454040.05.html. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  384. ^ Julie Stahl (2010-08-04). "Netanyahu: Lebanon Ambush a 'Violent Provocation'". CBN News. http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/insideisrael/2010/August/Netanyahu-Lebanon-Ambush-a-Violent-Provocation. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
  385. ^ "Goldwasser, Regev to be laid to rest after 2 uncertain years". The Jerusalem Post. 2008-07-16. http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1215330982807&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull. 
  386. ^ "Coffins said to hold bodies of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev taken to Israel-Lebanon border". Haaretz. 2008-07-16. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1002425.html. 
  387. ^ Israel-Lebanon war sparks 'human' films at Sundance

External links

Media
Further reading and analysis
Participants in the Arab–Israeli conflict
Governments
Active organizations
Formerly active organizations
Other governments
Algeria • China • Cuba • France • Iran • Kuwait • Libya • Morocco • North Korea • Norway • Pakistan • Russia • Sudan • Tunisia • Turkey • Uganda • United Arab Emirates • United Kingdom • United States • Venezuela • Yemen
Other organizations
Former states
People involved in the Arab–Israeli conflict
Lester B. Pearson • Abd al-Hakim Amer • Hosni Mubarak • Gamal Abdel Nasser • Anwar Sadat • Mahmoud Ahmadinejad • Ali Khamenei • Ruhollah Khomeini • Faisal I • Saddam Hussein • Ehud Barak • Menachem Begin • David Ben-Gurion • Moshe Dayan • Levi Eshkol • Golda Meir • Benjamin Netanyahu • Ehud Olmert • Shimon Peres • Yitzhak Rabin • Yitzhak Shamir • Ariel Sharon • Chaim Weizmann • King Abdullah I • King Abdullah II • King Hussein • Emile Lahoud • Hassan Nasrallah • Fouad Siniora • Recep Tayyip Erdogan • Mona Juul • Johan Jørgen Holst • Terje Rød-Larsen • Mahmoud Abbas • Yasser Arafat • Marwan Barghouti • George Habash • Ismail Haniya • Amin al-Husayni • Khaled Mashal • Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi • Ahmed Shukeiri • Ahmed Yassin • King Abdulaziz (Ibn Saud) • King Abdullah • King Fahd • King Faisal • Folke Bernadotte • Hafez al-Assad • Bashar al-Assad • Shukri al-Quwatli • Salah Jadid • Ernest Bevin • Arthur Balfour • Tony Blair • Richard Crossman • Madeleine Albright • Ralph Bunche • George H. W. Bush • George W. Bush • Jimmy Carter • Bill Clinton • Henry Kissinger • Ronald Reagan • Condoleezza Rice • Dennis Ross • Ramadan Shallah • Harry S. Truman • Cyrus R. Vance
Arab–Israeli armed engagements
Before 1947

1920 Nebi Musa riots · 1921 Jaffa riots · 1929 Hebron–Safed riots · 1933 Palestine riots · 1936–1939 Arab revolt ·
1947–1949

1947 Jerusalem riots · 1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine · 1948–1949 Arab–Israeli War
1950s
1960s

1962–1970 Operations Porcupine and Gravy (North Yemen Civil War) · 1964–1967 War over Water · 1966 Samu incident · 1967 Six-Day War · 1967–1970 War of Attrition · 1968 Battle of Karameh · 1968 Operation Gift 1969 Cherbourg Project
1970s

1970 Shelling on Lebanon · 1970 Black September in Jordan · 1972 Sabena Flight 571 (Operation Isotope) · 1972 Lod Airport massacre · 1972 Operation Crate 3 · 1972 Munich Olympics massacre · 1972–1979 Operation Wrath of God (Airstrike · Spring of Youth) · 1973 Libyan Arab Airlines Flight 114 · 1973 Yom Kippur War · 1974 Ma'alot massacre · 1974 Airstrike on Lebanon · 1975 Savoy Operation · 1975–1990 Lebanese Civil War · 1976 Operation Entebbe · 1978 Coastal Road massacre · 1978 Operation Litani
1980s

1980 Misgav Am hostage crisis · 1981 Operation Opera · 1982 Damour Airstrike · 1982 Lebanon War · 1982–2000 South Lebanon conflict · 1984 Kav 300 affair · 1985 PLO ships bombing · 1985 Achille Lauro hijacking · 1985 Operation Wooden Leg · 1987–1993 First Intifada · 1988 Mothers' Bus rescue · 1988 Tunis raid · 1989 Sheik Abdel Karim Obeid kidnapping
1990s
2000s

2000–2005 Al-Aqsa Intifada (Second Intifada) · 2000 October events · 2000–2006 Shebaa Farms conflict · 2001–present Rocket and mortar attacks on southern Israel (2001-2006 · 2007 · 2008 · Gaza War · 2009 · 2010 · 2011 · 2012) · 2001 Santorini · 2002 Operation Noah's Ark · 2002 Operation Defensive Shield (Jenin · Nablus · Bethlehem) · 2002–present West Bank barrier · 2002 Operation Determined Path · 2003 Abu Hasan · 2003 Ain es Saheb airstrike · 2004 Israel–Gaza conflict (Operation Rainbow · Operation Days of Penitence) · 2005 Operation Shevet Ahim · 2006–2011 Fatah–Hamas conflict · 2006 Operation Bringing Home the Goods · 2006 Israel–Gaza conflict (Operation Autumn Clouds) · 2006 Lebanon War · 2007–present Lebanese rockets · 2007–2008 Israel–Gaza conflict (Operation Hot Winter) · 2007 Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip · 2007–present Blockade of the Gaza Strip · 2007 Operation Orchard · 2008–2009 Gaza War (Operation Cast Lead) · 2009 Sudan airstrikes · 2009 Francop affair (Operation Four Species)
2010s
1914 Damascus Protocol • 1915 McMahon–Hussein Correspondence • 1916 Sykes–Picot Agreement • 1917 Balfour Declaration • 1918 Declaration to the Seven • 1918 Anglo-French Declaration • 1919 Faisal–Weizmann Agreement • 1920 San Remo conference • 1922 Churchill White Paper • 1939 White Paper • 1947 UN Partition Plan • 1948 Establishment of Israel • 1948 UNGA Resolution 194 • 1949 Armistice Agreements • 1964 Palestinian National Covenant • 1967 Khartoum Resolution • 1967 UNSC Resolution 242 • 1973 UNSC Resolution 338 • 1973 UNSC Resolution 339 • 1974 UNSC Resolution 350 • 1978 UNSC Resolution 425 • 1978 Camp David Accords • 1979 UNSC Resolution 446 • 1979 Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty • 1979 UNSC Resolution 452 • 1980 UNSC Resolution 478 • 1981 UNSC Resolution 497 • 1983 Israel-Lebanon agreement • 1991 Madrid Conference • 1993 Oslo Accords • 1994 Israel–Jordan Treaty of Peace • 1998 Wye River Memorandum • 2000 Camp David Summit • 2000 Clinton's Parameters • 2001 Taba Summit • 2001 UNSC Resolution 1373 • 2002 Beirut Summit and Peace Initiative • 2002 Road map for peace • 2003 Geneva Accord • 2004 UNSC Resolution 1559 • 2004 UNSC Resolution 1566 • 2005 UNSC Resolution 1583 • 2005 Sharm el-Sheikh Summit • 2005 Israel's unilateral disengagement plan • 2006 Palestinian Prisoners' Document • 2006 UNSC Resolution 1701 • 2007 Annapolis Conference • 2010 Israeli–Palestinian peace talks