Israel-Hezbollah War 2006

Summary: In summer 2006 Israel conducted an air and ground assault against the Islamist militia/political party Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Israel's stated objective was to rescue two Israeli soldiers who had been kidnapped inside Israel by Hezbollah guerrillas, and to stop periodic rocket attacks from Hezbollah strongholds on northern Israeli towns. By the time both sides observed a United Nations-mandated ceasefire on August 15, 2006, the outcome was ambiguous. On one hand Israeli troops occupied a large swath of southern Lebanon until a UN peacekeeping force arrived to replace them and monitor the ceasefire. On the other hand, the Israeli assault had not wholly stopped Hezbollah rocket fire, and Hezbollah emerged largely intact as an influential Lebanese political party, especially among the country's Shiites. The outcome cast doubt on the ability of air power-which Israel used extensively in the conflict-to defeat an entrenched militia.

Date: July 12-August 15, 2006.

Place: Lebanon.

Incident: Over a 34-day period starting in mid-July 2006 the armed forces of Israel fought an all-out air and ground war against the Hezbollah militia in southern Lebanon. Fighting ended with passage of a United Nations Security Council resolution, with no clear-cut victor, although the proximate cause of the conflict-shelling of northern Israel by Hezbollah-was stopped and Israel withdrew completely from Lebanon. In Beirut Hezbollah was hailed as having prevented an overwhelming Israeli victory, and parlayed this perception into greater political influence that also benefited Syria, a long-time champion and ally of Hezbollah.

Chronology

The following table shows the chronology of events in the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war, divided between the war and related diplomatic/political developments.

Date: July 12 (Wednesday)

In the war: Hezbollah fires rockets across Israeli border at town of Shlomi and Israeli outposts in Shebaa Farms. Guerrillas on Israeli side of border kill four soldiers, take two prisoners. Israeli planes bomb Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon while troops cross into Lebanon for first time since 2002. Hezbollah mounts heavy resistance; Israel calls up reserves.

Diplomacy/Politics: Israeli PM Ehud Olmert labels Hezbollah rocket attacks an "act of war."

Date: July 13-14 (Thursday-Friday)

In the war: Israel bombs Beirut airport and Hezbollah HQ in Beirut, plus bridges, roads, fuel depots; announces air, sea blockade, Lebanese casualties exceed 50.

Diplomacy/Politics: President Bush defends Israel's right of self-defense; France, Russia, European Union criticize "disproportionate" use of force. Hezbollah leader Nasrallah promises ""open war." UN Security Council in an emergency meeting calls for an end to the Israeli operation.

Date: July 15-16 (Saturday-Sunday)

In the war: Israel destroys Hezbollah HQ in southern Beirut, bombs length of Lebanon from Tripoli in North to Tyre in South.

Hezbollah rockets hit Tiberias, kill eight in Haifa..

Diplomacy/Politics: Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa declares Middle East peace process dead, calls on UN Security Council to act. At G8 meeting in St. Petersburg President Bush blames Hezbollah for the crisis, asks Syria to help restrain its ally. Russia's Vladimir Putin says "use of force should be balanced." G8 leaders blame extremists for starting the crisis; call on Israel to end its military operations.

Date: July 17, 2008 (Monday)

In the war: Israel bombs Tripoli, in northern Lebanon, Beirut.

Diplomacy/Politics: PM Olmert says attacks will continue until two Israeli soldiers are released, Hezbollah is disarmed, Lebanese army takes control of south.

Date: July 18, 2006 (Tuesday)

In the war: Israeli planes strike Beirut and Tyre on southern Lebanese coast.

Hezbollah sends rockets into northern Israel, hitting Haifa and Safed. Lebanese casualties to date: 250; Israeli casualties: 25.

Diplomacy/Politics: Britain, France, Italy evacuate European citizens from Beirut.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan suggests international force to halt Hezbollah attacks; Israel rejects proposal. Lebanon's President Emile Lahoud expresses support for Hezbollah.

Date: July 19 (Wednesday)

In the war: Israel sends troops across border for "restricted, pinpoint attacks." Bombing continues for eighth day.

Hezbollah denies that a "bunker buster" bomb in Beirut hit any leader or personnel. Hezbollah rockets hit Nazareth, an Arab town.

Diplomacy/Politics: Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora puts casualties in first eight days at over 300 killed, 1,000 wounded, 500,000 displaced.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana meets Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni, says suffering of Lebanese civilians is "disproportionate" to Hezbollah attacks.

Date: July 20 (Thursday)

In the war: Heavy ground fighting inside Lebanon. Israel conducts 80 air strikes.

Nasrallah says on TV that Israel has not hurt Hezbollah's abilities. Israel says Hezbollah fired 30 rockets into Israel.

Diplomacy/Politics: Kofi Annan calls for a ceasefire. Israel's Olmert agrees to allow humanitarian aid into Lebanon.

U.S. Marines come ashore to aid in evacuating Americans.

Date: July 21-23 (Friday-Sunday)

In the war: Israel masses forces on border, calls up reserves, drops leaflets urging residents of southern Lebanon to flee. Air strikes continue. Israel says it controls village of Maroun al-Ras after several days of fighting; denies it plans a full-scale invasion. Bombing targets include radio, TV broadcast towers. Bombs hit port of Sidon.

Many civilians flee southern Lebanon. Hezbollah fires several dozen rockets into Israel.

Death toll put at 350 Lebanese, 34 Israelis.

Diplomacy/Politics: Lebanese PM Siniora says attacks are now against Lebanon, not just Hezbollah. PM Siniora says the offensive is now no longer against Hezbollah, but against Lebanon.

UN emergency relief co-coordinator Jan Egeland says extent of destruction in southern Beirut amounts to a violation of humanitarian law. Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz says Israel would agree to proposed multi-national peacekeeping force, suggests it be led by NATO.

Date: July 24 (Monday)

In the war: Fierce fighting around Hezbollah stronghold of Bint Jbeil. Hezbollah says it shot down an Israeli helicopter; Israel says it crashed..

Diplomacy/Politics: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meets Siniora in Beirut. She insists release of Israeli soldiers and removal of Hezbollah is a precondition for ceasefire.

Date: July 25 (Tuesday)

In the war: UN observers say Israel captured Bint Jbeil. Israeli air strike kills four UN observers.

Diplomacy/Politics: Rice meets Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli PM Olmert in advance of international emergency conference in Rome.

Date: July 25-26 (Wednesday-Thursday)

In the war: Fighting continues around Bint Jbeil. Israel bombs sites in Gaza Strip at other end of country. Israel calls up more reserves.

Diplomacy/Politics: Conference in Rome of EU, US, Russia, and Arab representatives agrees to work towards ceasefire but does not call for immediate truce. Israel says this shows international backing for continuing its offensive. Al Qaeda's deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahiri threatens to enter fray with retaliation for attacks on Muslims in Lebanon and Gaza.

Date: July 28 (Friday)

In the war: Hezbollah fires over 100 rockets into northern Israel, including a new long-range rocket, the Khaibar-1.

Diplomacy/Politics: US State Department says it is "outrageous" to think world powers endorsed continued bombing. UN calls for 72-hour truce to allow humanitarian and medical aid.

Date: July 29-30 (Saturday-Sunday)

In the war: Israeli forces withdraw from Bint Jbeil. Air strikes close main crossing between Lebanon and Syria. Air strike in village of Qana kills 54 civilians, bloodiest single attack of the war.

Diplomacy/Politics: Condoleezza Rice returns to region; Israel softens position, saying it may stop fighting after UN resolution is passed and before arrival of peacekeeping force. UN calls for ceasefire to let humanitarian aid reach civilians in southern Lebanon. France, China, Jordan, Egypt, EU, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait call for immediate ceasefire. Israel tells Rice it needs 10-14 more days to complete objectives.

Date: July 31 (Monday)

In the war: Israel calls 48-hour partial halt to bombing to investigate bombing at Qana, although strikes are carried out elsewhere. Hezbollah shells border town of Kiryat Shmona, Israel.

Diplomacy/Politics: Rice says US will seek UN resolution calling for ceasefire

Date: August 1-2 (Tuesday-Wednesday)

In the war: Israeli troops push towards the Litani River, 19 miles north of border; commandos hit target in Baalbek, 60 miles north of border.

Hezbollah fires more than 230 rockets, highest one-day number so far.

Diplomacy/Politics: Olmert declares Israel is winning the battle. EU foreign ministers call for immediate cessation of hostilities. On Wednesday Olmert insists fighting will continue until international peacekeeping force is dispatched.

Date: August 3 (Thursday)

In the war: Israel warns Beirut residents of forthcoming new operations.

Nasrallah warns Hezbollah will bomb Tel Aviv if Beirut is bombed again

Date: August 4 (Friday)

In the war: Israeli bombs kill 26 in village of Qaaa near Syrian border. Other bombs hit bridges in mainly Christian areas north of Beirut.

Hezbollah fires over 190 rockets, hitting as far as 50 miles south of border.

Date: August 5-6 (Saturday-Sunday)

In the war: Israeli commando raid in city of Tyre; Lebanese officials say raid was repelled.

Diplomacy/Politics: US envoy David Welch meets Siniora and parliament speaker Nabih Berri in Beirut; US and France agree on draft UN Security Council resolution for "full cessation of hostilities" by both sides.

Date: August 7-8 (Monday-Tuesday)

In the war: Renewed fighting near Bint Jbeil.

Hezbollah fires over 100 rockets into Israel.

Diplomacy/Politics: Continued debate over UN Security Council resolution. Secretary General Annan criticizes both sides for targeting civilians and says bombing of Qana by Israel might be part of "a pattern of violations of international law."

Israel threatens to bomb any moving vehicle south of Litani River, including aid vehicles.

Date: August 9 (Wednesday)

In the war: Israeli cabinet approves plan to send troops to Litani River but delays implementation. Fighting kills 15 Israeli soldiers, 40 Hezbollah guerrillas. Israeli bombs destroy building in Beeka Valley.

Diplomacy/Politics: Continued debate at UN; Arab states demand resolution include call for immediate Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. Nasrallah endorses a Lebanese government plan to send 15,000 soldiers to the south.

Date: August 10-11 (Friday)

In the war: Ground fighting and air strikes continue. Israel drops leaflets warning residents of south Beirut to leave immediately.

Diplomacy/Politics: UN Resolution 1701 (August 11) calls for "full cessation of hostilities" and for international force of 15,000 to replace Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.

Date: August 12-13 (Saturday-Sunday)

In the war: Israel triples size of ground force inside Lebanon; 24 soldiers killed (August 12), largest one-day loss of the campaign. Hezbollah fires 250 rockets into Israel (August 13).

Diplomacy/Politics: Kofi Annan announces ceasefire will come into effect at 0500 GMT on August 14 (Monday). Nasrallah says Hezbollah will observe cease-fire, but promises to keep fighting as long as Israeli forces are in Lebanon. Israeli cabinet endorses resolution (August 13) but says it will stay in Lebanon pending arrival of peacekeeping force.

Date: August 14 (Monday)

In the war: Ceasefire in effect from 8 a.m. local (0500 GMT). Lebanese crowd roads in effort to return home despite Israeli travel restrictions..

Diplomacy/Politics: Olmert says campaign eliminated Hezbollah "state within a state."

Nasrallah claims "historic victory" on TV.

Date: August 15 (Tuesday)

In the war: Sporadic ceasefire violations. Israelis shoot five Hezbollah militiamen, killing three; Hezbollah fires mortars, but no shells cross border.

Outcome and Impact

After the ceasefire in August the preexisting United Nations International Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), first established in 1978, was reinforced by contingents from Belgium, Brunei, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, South Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, and Ukraine. The largest contingents came from Italy (2,500), Germany (2,400), France (2,000), Indonesia (1,000) and Spain (1,000). Despite several violations of the ceasefire, including instances of Israeli overflights, the UN force succeeded in maintaining peace. Hezbollah rocket attacks into Israel ended. All but a handful of Israeli troops had withdrawn from Lebanon by October 1, 2006.

Hezbollah organized a massive rally in Beirut on September 22, 2006, drawing several hundred thousand people-a symbolic statement that Hezbollah remained a potent force in Lebanon. Over the next 18 months Hezbollah continued to increase its power over Lebanese politics. In December 2006 Hezbollah mounted demonstrations in Beirut to press its demands for more representation in Lebanon's cabinet. In November 2007 Hezbollah withdrew its deputies from parliament, forcing a delay in choosing a new president until May 2008, when a political agreement with Lebanon's other sectarian groups (Sunni Muslims and Christians) resulted in giving Hezbollah veto power over key government decisions.

The Israeli government of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert appointed a commission led by retired judge Eliyahu Winograd to investigate the conduct of the Lebanese conflict. Its report, issued in January 2008, was sharply critical without specifically naming Olmert. Winograd concluded:

"To offer a general summing up, Israel lost an important opportunity. We went to war on our own initiative, it was a long war and it ended without a clear victory in terms of the military objectives. An organization of just a few thousand troops [Hezbollah] managed to hold out against an army that benefited from absolute air supremacy, and major benefits on the technological level."

The Winograd report contributed to Olmert's declining popularity. Along with unrelated allegations of financial improprieties, discontent over the outcome forced Olmert to resign in September 2008. Even before the final report of the commission, the defense minister during the conflict, Amir Peretz, had been forced to resign; he also lost his position as leader of the Labor Party, replaced by former premier Ehud Barak, who also became the new defense minister.

In July 2008 the bodies of the two Israeli soldiers kidnapped in 2006 were released to the Red Cross, which returned them to Israel.

In December 2008, Israel launched a massive air assault against Hamas, the radical Islamist party in control of the Gaza Strip at the southern end of Israel. Many observers were quick to point out similarities to the situation in Gaza and the situation in southern Lebanon in 2006: radical Islamists exerting de facto control over the region adjacent to Israel and firing rockets into Israeli territory, and extensive use of air power to try to dislodge both Hezbollah and Hamas.