2006 Lebanon War: Difference between revisions

The '''2006 Lebanon War''', also called the '''2006 Israel–Hezbollah War''' and known in Lebanon as the '''July War''' and the '''33-Day War''' was a conflict between Israeli regime and Hezbollah that unfolded in 2006. The tensions leading up to the war began in 2004 when Israel failed to release three Lebanese prisoners, breaking a previous agreement with Hezbollah. In July 2006, Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers during Operation "the True Promise" as a means to negotiate their release.

In response, Israel declared war on Lebanon. War experts believe that Israel had already planned to launch an offensive, and Hezbollah’s actions accelerated this timeline. Israel's official demands included the disarmament of Hezbollah and the return of its soldiers, but these goals were not achieved by the war's end.

The war lasted for 33 days, and on the morning of the 34th day, August 14, 2006, a ceasefire was established in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

In 2004, Hezbollah and Israel committed to a prisoner exchange following indirect negotiations. In this exchange, 436 Muslim prisoners from various countries were released along with the remains of 59 Hezbollahs' forces in return for one living prisoner and the remains of three Israelis.

Contrary to the agreement, Israel did not release three of the prisoners, including Samir Qantar. On the day of the prisoners' release, [[Al-Sayyid Hasan Nasrallah|Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah]] announced that the way to free those three individuals was to capture more prisoners from Israel.

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah stated that the release of the captives could only be achieved through indirect negotiations and a prisoner exchange. In response to this operation, Israel declared war on Lebanon and Hezbollah.

Subsequently, American and Israeli sources revealed that Israel had planned a surprise attack to occupy the Litani River, set for October—just two months after the "al-Wa'd al-Sadiq Operation". However, this operation accelerated their timeline.

On July 12, 2006, Israel declared war on [[Lebanon]] and [[Hezbollah]].

In response to Israel’s advanced weaponry, Hezbollah utilized guerrilla warfare tactics. The group had constructed an extensive network of tunnels in southern Lebanon, which they effectively used for command operations and munitions storage throughout the conflict.

Many Arab nations took a negative stance toward Hezbollah during the war. The Israeli ambassador to the United Nations claimed that several foreign ministers and ambassadors from Arab countries expressed a desire for Israel to eliminate Hezbollah.

In Lebanon, high-ranking officials were divided in their responses. While Prime Minister Fouad Siniora condemned Israel's attacks, he also called for Hezbollah's disarmament. In contrast, other officials, such as President Emile Lahoud and Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh, expressed their support for Hezbollah. Iran, Syria, Hamas, and the [[Muslim Brotherhood]] (Ikhwan al-Muslimin) also backed the group. On the tenth day of the conflict, [[Ayatollah Khamenei]] sent a verbal message through [[Qasem Soleimani]] to [[Al-Sayyid Hasan Nasrallah|Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah]], promising victory and encouraging fighters to recite the [[Supplication of Jawshan al-Saghir]]. Following the war, he wrote an official message to Nasrallah.

Qasem Soleimani, commander of the [[Quds Force]], traveled to Lebanon on the first day of the war. After a week, he returned to Iran to report back before going back to Lebanon, where he remained for the duration of the conflict.

==Objectives of the War==

* '''Disarmament and Destruction of Hezbollah:''' Israel aimed to disarm and eliminate Hezbollah. As the conflict dragged on without achieving this objective, Israel shifted its focus to occupying parts of Lebanon up to the Litani River. However, this too proved unsuccessful, and Israel ultimately accepted UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which mandated the deployment of the Lebanese army and UN forces along the border and up to the Litani River.

 

* '''Release of Captured Soldiers:''' Israel also demanded the return of its two captured soldiers.

 

*'''Creation of a New Middle East:''' Condoleezza Rice, then U.S. Secretary of State, described the 33-day war as the beginning of a "New Middle East." experts suggest that both Israel and the U.S. sought to shape a region that would be compliant and effectively serve as a U.S. sphere of influence.

[[Al-Sayyid Hasan Nasrallah|Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah]] argued that if Lebanon had fallen during the 2006 conflict, the U.S.-Israeli agenda would have extended the war into [[Syria]] and targeted Palestinian resistance, ultimately encircling [[Iran]].

==Qana Massacre==

Experts agree that Israel's military power was, and still is, unmatched by Hezbollah. However, [[Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah]] warned in a speech after the al-Wa'd al-Sadiq operation that if Israel chose to confront Hezbollah, it should expect significant surprises.

 

In the early days of the war, Hezbollah launched a successful missile attack on the advanced Israeli corvette Saar 5. Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah announced this achievement live during a speech, confirming the strike. This success dealt a serious blow to the morale of Israeli forces while energizing Hezbollah forces.

 

Hezbollah also targeted a sophisticated military boat with missile strikes. Furthermore, the group managed to hit the strategic port city of Haifa and later extended its attacks to areas and settlements even farther away.

 

Israeli forces, equipped with Merkava tanks, considered them a stronghold. However, Hezbollah effectively destroyed these tanks with its missiles, inflicting significant casualties on the enemy. In addition, Hezbollah succeeded in downing an Israeli helicopter.