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82-565: The contract for the construction of the three ships of the class was signed in the early 1980s. Lahav was the second ship of the class to be launched in 1993 and she was commissioned in September 1994. Lahav took part in the 2006 Lebanon War by blockading Lebanese ports. She has also taken part in numerous NATO exercises including one in April 2008 with the Turkish and American navies. It took part in

164-451: A "tale". Benjamin Lambeth, however, insisted that it was far-fetched to suggest that the "authoritative Israeli leadership pronouncements" were not based on facts. He admitted however that there was "persistent uncertainty" surrounding the "few known facts and figures" concerning the alleged attacks. Anthony Cordesman believed that IAF probably destroyed most medium- and long-range missiles in

246-629: A "very painful and far-reaching response." Israel blamed the Lebanese government for the raid, as it was carried out from Lebanese territory. Hezbollah had two ministers serving in the Lebanese cabinet at that time. In response, Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora denied any knowledge of the raid and stated that he did not condone it. An emergency meeting of the Lebanese government reaffirmed this position. The Israel Defense Forces attacked targets within Lebanon with artillery and airstrikes hours before

328-523: A UNIFIL position were attacked by unidentified persons and one of the soldiers was shot and subsequently died. In February 1982, the force was increased by a further 1,000 troops. During the 1982 Lebanon War, commencing on 6 June 1982, Israeli forces advanced into south Lebanon. Despite being ordered to block the advance, the UN positions were either bypassed or overrun, primarily by the SLA forces under Saad Haddad. This

410-606: A ground invasion of Southern Lebanon and imposed an air-and-naval blockade on the country. Hezbollah then launched more rockets into northern Israel and engaged the IDF in guerrilla warfare from hardened positions. On 11 August 2006, the United Nations Security Council unanimously approved United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 (UNSCR 1701) in an effort to end the hostilities, which called for disarmament of Hezbollah, Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, and for

492-538: A hostage and created Syrian- and Iranian-sponsored terrorist enclaves of murder." 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

574-509: A lack of co-operation by all parties to the conflict. There were several attacks on its personnel, including ambushes, kidnappings, shelling and sniping. As a result, only limited progress was made in fulfilment of its mandate between 1978 and 1982. During the occupation, UNIFIL's function was mainly to provide humanitarian aid amidst the Lebanese Civil War . Prior to the 1982 Lebanon War , on 2 January 1982 two Ghanaian soldiers guarding

656-624: A large number of reinforcements, up to 15,000 men, and heavy equipment. France committed to increase its complement from 400 to 2,000 men and send Leclerc heavy tanks and AMX 30 AuF1 self-propelled artillery, in addition to the forces deployed in Opération Baliste . Italy committed to deploy 3,000 troops, while Qatar offered to send between 200 and 300 troops. As the French were preparing to deploy, French commander of UNIFIL Alain Pellegrini and

738-601: A restrained manner as Israel did." During the first day of the war the Israeli Air Force, artillery and navy conducted more than 100 attacks mainly against Hezbollah bases in south Lebanon, among them the regional headquarters in Yatar. Five bridges across the Litani and Zahrani rivers were also destroyed, reportedly to prevent Hezbollah from transferring the abducted soldiers to the north. Attacks from land, sea and air continued in

820-755: A severe shortage of ammunition towards the end of the war. United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon ( Arabic : قوة الأمم المتحدة المؤقتة في لبنان , Hebrew : כוח האו"ם הזמני בלבנון ), or UNIFIL ( Arabic : يونيفيل , Hebrew : יוניפי״ל ), is a United Nations peacekeeping mission established on 19 March 1978 by United Nations Security Council Resolutions 425 and 426 , and several further resolutions in 2006 to confirm Hezbollah demilitarisation, support Lebanese army operations against insurgents and weapon smuggling, and confirming Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon , in order to ensure that

902-559: A smaller scale in the 1993 Operation Accountability . In 1996 south Lebanon was bombarded by the Israeli army, airforce and navy for seventeen days. According to Amnesty International during the 1996 bombardment UNIFIL compounds and vehicles came under Israeli aircraft or artillery fire 270 times. This included the shelling of the Fijian UNIFIL compound near Qana where 102 villagers sheltering were killed. In April 2000, Israel notified

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984-523: Is approved on an annual basis by the General Assembly . It had a budget of $ 474 million for the period July 2018 to June 2019. According to its Mandate, established by United Nations Security Council Resolutions 425 and 426 in 1978, UNIFIL is tasked with the following objectives: In addition, several further Security Council resolutions have reaffirmed and expanded the mission's mandate, including: Under SC Resolution 1701, UNIFIL's mandate

1066-539: Is at stake. Many troops, including the Finnish, Irish, Qataris and Indonesians pulled out of UNIFIL in 2007–2008. Some of these nations had been there for over 30 years (the Irish and Finnish), and one of the reasons for the withdrawal was reportedly concerns about the changing rules of engagement following the arrival of NATO forces in August 2006 and because of high-level German and French statements expressing unlimited support to

1148-602: Is not utilized for hostile activities of any kind." On 27 August 2006, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said that UNIFIL would not intercept arms shipments from Syria , unless requested to do so by Lebanon. The Maritime Task Force (MTF) is the naval component of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). As of February 2012, the MTF was under the command of Rear Admiral Wagner Lopes de Moraes Zamith of Brazil . The Brazilian frigate Constituição

1230-411: Is supported by 239 international civilian staff, including 78 women, and 583 national civilian staff, including 153 women. It is led by Spanish Major General Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz. The UNIFIL military component also includes a contingent from Kazakhstan. The Kazakh peacekeeping forces joined the mission for the first time ever in late 2018. A total of 120 soldiers from Kazakhstan were deployed as part of

1312-587: Is the flagship of the fleet comprising vessels from Brazil , Bangladesh , Germany , Greece , Indonesia and Turkey . After the 2006 Lebanon War , the UNIFIL Maritime Task Force (MTF) was established to assist the Lebanese Naval Forces in preventing the smuggling of illegal shipments in general and armament shipments in particular. With its establishment in October 2006, the force was led by

1394-483: The German Navy which was also the major contributor to the force. The Germans lead the MTF up until 29 February 2008 when they passed control over to EUROMARFOR – a force made up of ships from Portugal, Spain, Italy and France, of which the latter three countries sent vessels to the force in Lebanon. As of 19 June 2018 , UNIFIL employed 10,480 military personnel, including 500 women , from 41 countries. It

1476-727: The IDF has struck targets in Lebanon with artillery and drones. On 17 and 18 September 2024, Israel attacked Hezbollah members with bombs concealed inside pagers and other small electronic devices. On 20 September, an IDF airstrike hit Beirut . Similar bombardments followed throughout the rest of September. On the evening of 30 September, the IDF invaded southern Lebanon with approximately 45,000 troops, while air strikes on Beirut and other targets throughout Lebanon continued. UNIFIL forces did not intervene, and remained in their positions. On 4 October, IDF told Irish UNIFIL personnel to withdraw from one of their positions. Representatives of

1558-480: 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 . Forty-four civilians were killed. The Israeli Air Force also targeted Hezbollah 's long-range rocket-and-missile stockpiles, destroying many of them on

1640-571: The Israeli Defense Forces with the aim of reducing tensions and allaying tension along the border. UNIFIL has played an important role in clearing landmines, assisting displaced persons and providing humanitarian assistance to civilians in the underdeveloped region of Southern Lebanon . Under UN Security Council Resolution 1701 , which passed as a result of the 2006 Lebanon War , its mandate and rules of engagement changed. The mandate changed to allow up to 15,000 personnel in order to assist

1722-610: The Lebanese Armed Forces in deploying in Southern Lebanon to implement the Lebanese government's sovereignty. The rules of engagement changed to allow the troops to open fire in certain cases: mostly in cases of self-defense but also in order to protect civilians, UN personnel and facilities. The new resolution states that UNIFIL can "take all the necessary action in areas of deployment of its forces, and as it deems with its capabilities, to ensure that its area of operations

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1804-642: The Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990). During the 1978 Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon , Israel failed to stem the Palestinian attacks. Israel invaded Lebanon again in 1982 and forcibly expelled the PLO. Israel withdrew to a borderland buffer zone in southern Lebanon, held with the aid of proxy militants in the South Lebanon Army (SLA). The invasion also led to the conception of a new Shi'a militant group , which in 1985, established itself politically under

1886-638: The United Nations Disengagement Observer Force Zone ). They were deployed after Israel launched Operation Litani earlier in the month, in response to a cross border raid by Palestinians based in Lebanon. UNIFIL made its headquarters in Naqoura close to the Lebanese-Israeli border. The majority of the force's initial personnel were provided by Canada, Iran and Sweden with support from France, Nepal and Norway. The initial force

1968-661: The White House gave the green light for the Israeli government to execute an attack on Hezbollah in Lebanon. Supposedly, communication between the Israeli government and the US government about this came as early as two months in advance of the capture of two Israeli soldiers and the killing of eight others by Hezbollah prior to the conflict in July 2006. According to Conal Urquhart in The Guardian ,

2050-593: The government of Lebanon would restore its effective authority in the area. The 1978 South Lebanon conflict came in the context of Palestinian insurgency in South Lebanon and the Lebanese Civil War . The mandate had to be adjusted due to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 and after the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000 . Following the 2006 Lebanon War , the United Nations Security Council enhanced UNIFIL and added additional tasks to

2132-410: The 170,000 shells fired. The Israeli Navy fired 2,500 shells. The combined effect of the massive air and artillery bombardment on Hezbollah capacity to fire short-range Katyusha rockets on northern Israel was very meager. According to the findings of the post-war military investigations the IDF shelling succeeded only in destroying about 100 out of 12,000 Katyusha launchers. The massive fire led to

2214-493: The 1967 Six-Day War ; 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

2296-1610: The 2010 Gaza flotilla raid . The Israeli Navy chose Lahav as the first Sa'ar 5 corvette to be equipped with the advanced EL/M-2248 MF-STAR radar. On 23 September 2014 she was presented to the public with the new radar at Haifa naval base. This article about a specific naval ship or boat is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . 2006 Lebanon War [REDACTED] Hezbollah Israel Defense Forces: Killed: 121 killed Wounded: 1,244 20 tanks destroyed 1 helicopter shot down, 3 lost in accidents 1 corvette damaged Israeli civilians: Killed: 44 Wounded: 1,384 Lebanese citizens* and foreign citizens killed in Lebanon: Dead:1,191 (per Amnesty International and Lebanese government ) 1,109 (per Human Rights Watch ) Wounded: 4,409 Hezbollah fighters: 250 killed (per Human Rights Watch and Hezbollah) 600+ killed and 800 wounded (per Israel ) Captured: 4 fighters Lebanese Armed Forces and Internal Security Forces : 43 dead Amal militia: 17 dead LCP militia: 12 dead PFLP-GC militia: 2 dead Foreign civilians: 51 dead 25 wounded * The Lebanese government did not differentiate between civilians and combatants in death toll figures. Military engagements and attacks Evacuations Response Related topics Palestinian insurgency in South Lebanon Hezbollah–Israel conflict The 2006 Lebanon War

2378-608: The French regiments of driving their heavy vehicles through their two-month-old tobacco fields, which support many families. UNIFIL was also accused of having stepped up its patrols and of failing to coordinate with the Lebanese Army. In July 2010, the most serious incident occurred when the French regiments decided to carry out exercises unilaterally, without Lebanese units or other regiments. When they went into narrow alleys of Lebanese villages some residents first tried to redirect them out of their private areas. The French fired against

2460-502: 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

2542-443: 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. 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 as well as on

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2624-456: The Hula area, posing a significant security risk to United Nations personnel and equipment." In order to stress the importance of implementing Security Council resolution 1701, UN Secretary-General Annan himself paid a visit to UNIFIL on the ground in August 2006. By July 2006, UNIFIL's strength had dropped to its lowest, with only 1,980 personnel deployed. Following the cease-fire, UNIFIL received

2706-452: The IDF maintained some forces in Southern Lebanon , along with the SLA, to establish a security zone to prevent attacks on Israel from Lebanon. These forces were engaged by several groups, including Hezbollah . UNIFIL's role during this time was limited to mainly manning checkpoints and undertaking patrols, as its operations were constrained by the Israeli security zone in the south. Its personnel were attacked by elements on both sides of

2788-502: The Indian battalion in Lebanon on 31 October 2018. In 2019, UNSC resolution 2485 extended the mission's mandate until August 2020 and reduced the troop ceiling from 15,000 to 13,000. In November 2019 after ten years of absence, the Polish military contingent was returned. In April 2019, the United Nations Interim Force deployed a cultural asset in Lebanon with Blue Shield International . It

2870-483: The Israel Defense Forces avoid civilian casualties whenever possible. Israel's chief of staff Dan Halutz said, "if the soldiers are not returned, we will turn Lebanon's clock back 20 years" while the head of Israel's Northern Command Udi Adam said, "this affair is between Israel and the state of Lebanon. Where to attack? Once it is inside Lebanon, everything is legitimate—not just southern Lebanon, not just

2952-482: The Israeli government claimed victory, while the Winograd Commission deemed the war a missed opportunity for Israel as it did not lead to disarmament of Hezbollah. The conflict is believed to have killed between 1,191 and 1,300 Lebanese people, and 165 Israelis. It severely damaged Lebanese civil infrastructure, and displaced approximately one million Lebanese and 300,000–500,000 Israelis. The remains of

3034-560: The Israeli government, "We've won the war." American officials claimed that the Israelis overstated the effectiveness of the air war against Hezbollah and cited the failure to hit any of the Hezbollah leaders in spite of dropping twenty-three tons of high explosives in a single raid on the Beirut Southern suburbs of Dahiya. The Israeli assessments are "too large," said one US official. Al-Manar TV station only went dark for two minutes after

3116-528: The Israeli side. From November 2009 has began withdrawal of UNIFIL the Polish military contingent. The process of withdrawing Polish forces ended on December 11, 2009, when the last units of the liquidation group left Lebanon. In 2010, a series of standoffs and clashes erupted between UNIFIL troops and Lebanese villagers in the border region. Villagers accused French peacekeepers of provocative and intrusive patrols, and of taking pictures of people inside their homes. People of Aitaroun town, Marjayoun , accused

3198-627: The Israeli town of Shlomi and other villages. Five civilians were injured. Six Israeli military positions were fired on, and the surveillance cameras knocked out. 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 Humvees patrolling the border near Zar'it, using pre-positioned explosives and anti-tank missiles, killing three soldiers, injuring two, and capturing two soldiers (First Sergeant Ehud Goldwasser and Sergeant First Class Eldad Regev ). In response to

3280-571: The Italians. The Indonesian contingent received 12 VAB (Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé) on 17 February 2007, as the part of the second wave of shipments from the agreement between the French and Indonesian governments. Among the equipment sent with the second wave of VABs were 10 tool boxes (pioneering equipment), 10 armored vehicle radio communications units, HMG (Heavy Machine Gun) shooter shields, and 40 water jerrycans . On 16 March 2009, KRI Diponegoro , an Indonesian Sigma-class corvette joined

3362-521: The Lebanese Army. The French unit could not explain why they behaved unilaterally. Their ambassador to the UN said the civilian attack "was not spontaneous". At the request of the United Nations, 7,000 additional Lebanese soldiers were deployed to South Lebanon as approved by the Lebanese Cabinet. The 2010 Israel–Lebanon border clash occurred on 3 August 2010. It was the deadliest incident along

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3444-611: The Lebanese people of protecting the Israelis. On the other hand, if UNIFIL forces were seen to favour the Lebanese, Israel would accuse UNIFIL of collaborating with Hezbollah. Post 2006, UNIFIL was deployed throughout Southern Lebanon , south of the Litani River , and primarily along the United Nations-drawn Blue Line , the border between Israel and Lebanon . Since then, the force's activities have centered around monitoring military activity between Hezbollah and

3526-705: The SLA, and Hezbollah quickly took control of the area. Later, citing allegations of Lebanese prisoners in Israel and continued Israeli control of the Shebaa farms region, occupied by Israel from Syria in 1967 but considered by Hezbollah to be part of Lebanon, Hezbollah intensified its cross-border attacks, and used the tactic of seizing soldiers from Israel as leverage for a prisoner exchange in 2004. In 2005, Syrian forces withdrew from Lebanon . In August 2006, in an article in The New Yorker , Seymour Hersh claimed that

3608-572: The UN Secretary General that it was withdrawing from south Lebanon. This process was completed by June 2000. After this, UNIFIL was able to resume its military tasks along the "Blue Line" (the UN identified line of withdrawal for the IDF) and the adjacent areas, where UNIFIL sought to maintain the ceasefire through patrols, observation from fixed positions, and close contact between Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), as well as providing humanitarian assistance to

3690-475: The UNIFIL Naval Task Force. In August 2010, two Indonesian soldiers were criticized after they escaped from clashes between Israel and Lebanon by fleeing in a taxi. The Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Ambassador Dan Gillerman , met with UNIFIL commander, Maj.-Gen. Claudio Graziano, on 15 August 2008, after Israel was accused of unilaterally violating United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 by

3772-607: The Winograd Committee leaked a testimony from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert suggesting that Olmert "had been preparing for such a war at least four months before the official casus belli : the capture by Hezbollah of two Israeli soldiers from a border post on 12 July 2006." In June 2005, an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) paratroop unit operating near the Shebaa Farms engaged three Lebanese it identified as Hezbollah special force members, killing one. Videotapes recovered by

3854-407: The almost daily overflights of Lebanese airspace, the continued occupation of the village of Ghajar , and Israel's refusal to submit maps of areas on which it dropped cluster munitions during the 2006 Lebanese war. Following the war, British military historian John Keegan predicted that Israel would in the future invade Lebanon and continue attacking until Hezbollah's system of tunnels and bunkers

3936-577: The attack was to create a rift between the Lebanese population and Hezbollah supporters by exacting a heavy price from the elite in Beirut . 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

4018-458: The border since the devastating 2006 Lebanon War . The UN force stationed in southern Lebanon urged "maximum restraint" following the clashes along the so-called Blue Line , a UN-drawn border separating Lebanon from Israel. UNIFIL peacekeepers were in the area where the clashes took place. United Nations peacekeepers tried to hold off the routine Israeli tree-pruning that led to a deadly border clash with Lebanese soldiers. An Indonesian UN battalion

4100-461: The civilians, arrested a youth driving a motorcycle, and destroyed the vehicle. When other civilians saw that, they surrounded and attacked the UNIFIL French troops without any weapons. The vehicles' windows were smashed by stones from dozens of civilians of all ages, and the French commander was wounded. The French troops were forcibly disarmed by the villagers, and weapons were then handed over to

4182-497: The conflict during this time, and financial issues also hampered UNIFIL operations as some UN member states withheld funding for the operation. In 1986, the force was reorganised when France decreased its contribution to UNIFIL. There was a proposal to convert the force into an observation group around this time, although this was ultimately rejected. The period saw an Israel invasion in the 1982 Operation Peace in Galilee and another on

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4264-443: The conflict, it was out of peacekeepers' hands. One former UNIFIL official explained that he has been in these situations before, and when the opposing sides are determined to shoot each other, there is nothing UNIFIL force can do. Regarding concerns about UNIFIL's neutrality, a former UNIFIL commander highlighted the importance of perception, stating that if UNIFIL forces intervened to protect IDF, UNIFIL would be accused by Hezbollah or

4346-510: The country's foreign minister, Philippe Douste-Blazy , stated that France would not intervene to disarm Hezbollah. A naval component of UNIFIL was set up to assist the Lebanese Navy as an interim measure to prevent arms proliferation to Hezbollah while the Lebanese Navy builds its capacity. For a period the force was German-led under the command of a German admiral before handing over to

4428-465: The day. It was later reported that the Israel Air Force after midnight, 13 July, attacked and destroyed 59 stationary medium-range Fajr rocket launchers positioned throughout southern Lebanon. Operation Density allegedly only took 34 minutes to carry out but was the result of six years of intelligence gathering and planning. Between half and two-thirds of Hezbollah medium-range rocket capability

4510-472: The deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces and an enlarged United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in the south. The Lebanese Army began deploying in Southern Lebanon on 17 August and the blockade was lifted on 8 September. On 1 October, most Israeli troops withdrew from Lebanon, although the last of the troops continued to occupy the border-straddling village of Ghajar . Both Hezbollah and

4592-441: The first two days of the war but acknowledged that these claims "have never been validated or described in detail." Hezbollah long remained silent on the question of its rockets, but on the sixth anniversary of the war, chairman Hassan Nasrallah asserted that Israel had missed them, claiming that Hezbollah had known about Israeli intelligence gathering and had managed to secretly move its platforms and launchers in advance. During

4674-613: The following days. Among the targets hit were the Hezbollah headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut as well as the offices and homes of the leadership, the compounds of al-Manar TV station and al-Nour radio station, and the runways and fuel depots of the Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut. Also targeted were Hezbollah bases, weapons depots and outposts as well as bridges, roads and petrol stations in south Lebanon. Forty-four civilians were killed throughout

4756-568: The ground in the first days of the war. Many of Hezbollah's longer-range rocket launchers were destroyed within the first hours of the Israeli attack. 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 officially demanded that

4838-441: The lighting system, and a radio repeater at UNP 1-32A base with small arms fire, according to the UN. On 10 October 2024, Israeli troops opened fire on three UNIFIL positions in South Lebanon, including UNIFIL's main base at Naqoura . Two Indonesian personnel were injured after an Israeli tank fired on an observation tower. The same day, Israel demanded the immediate withdrawal of all UNIFIL personnel located within 5 km of

4920-460: The line of Hezbollah posts." 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". The Cabinet's communiqué stated, in part, that the "Lebanese Government [was] responsible for the action that originated on its soil." A retired Israeli Army Colonel explained that the rationale behind

5002-579: The local population. According to UNIFIL press releases, there were dozens of incidents of UN posts coming under fire during the 2006 Lebanon War . In his 21 July 2006 report about the UNIFIL activities 21 January – 18 July 2006, the Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan stated that "Some Hezbollah positions remained in close proximity to United Nations positions, especially in

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5084-449: The mandate such as aiding displaced persons. UNIFIL's mandate is renewed annually by the United Nations Security Council ; it was most recently extended on 28 August 2024 with the passing of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2749 . It is composed of 10,000 peacekeepers from 46 nations, tasked with helping the Lebanese Army keep the south of the country protected from "unauthorized armed personnel, such as Hezbollah ". Its funding

5166-529: The name Hezbollah , and declared an armed struggle to end the Israeli occupation of Lebanese territory. When the Lebanese Civil War ended and other warring factions agreed to disarm, 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. The withdrawal also led to the immediate collapse of

5248-556: The paratroopers contained footage of the three recording detailed accounts of the area. 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

5330-414: The peacekeeping mission and the Irish government declined. Due to the intensive military operations of Israel against Hezzbolah in southern Lebanon, 150 Polish soldiers from the 9th rotation could not return to the country and had to wait in shelters until the conflict escalated. In the evening of 9 October, IDF soldiers "deliberately fired at and disabled" the video surveillance system at UNP 1-31 base,

5412-514: The release of Lebanese citizens held in Israeli prisons. On 12 July 2006, Hezbollah ambushed Israeli soldiers on the border, killing three and capturing two; a further five were killed during a failed Israeli rescue attempt. Hezbollah demanded an exchange of prisoners with Israel. Israel launched airstrikes and artillery fire on targets in Lebanon, attacking both Hezbollah military targets and Lebanese civilian infrastructure, including Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport . Israel launched

5494-590: The security and freedom of movement of United Nations personnel, humanitarian workers and, without prejudice to the responsibility of the Government of Lebanon, to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence. The first UNIFIL troops deployed in the area on 23 March 1978 were reassigned from other UN peacekeeping operations in the area ( United Nations Emergency Force , the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization , and

5576-416: The strike before it was back into the air. The TV station was bombed 15 times during the war but never faltered after the first hiccup. According to military analyst William Arkin there is "little evidence" that the Israeli Air Force even attempted, much less succeeded in, wiping out the medium- and long-range-rocket capability in the first days of the war. He dismissed the whole claim as an "absurdity" and

5658-704: The two captured soldiers, whose fates were unknown, were returned to Israel on 16 July 2008 as part of a prisoner exchange . The war is known in Lebanon as the July War ( Arabic : حرب تموز , Ḥarb Tammūz ) and in Israel as the Second Lebanon War ( Hebrew : מלחמת לבנון השנייה , Milhemet Levanon HaShniya ), Cross-border attacks from southern Lebanon into Israel by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) dated as far back as 1968, following

5740-475: The two opposing forces, retreated and returned to their base, but two soldiers fell behind and briefly became isolated before the stunned and exhausted soldiers were helped by some locals. UN peacekeepers did not escape the confrontation unscathed. Local TV reported that in some cases, villagers attempted to block UNIFIL vehicles from fleeing the combat zone, demanding that they return and fight. However, current and former UNIFIL officials said that at that point in

5822-473: The war the Israeli Air Force flew 11,897 combat missions, which was more than the number of sorties during the 1973 October War (11,223) and almost double the number during the 1982 Lebanon War (6,052). The Israeli artillery fired 170,000 shells, more than twice the number fired in the 1973 October War. A senior officer in the IDF Armored Corps told Haaretz that he would be surprised if it turned out that even five Hezbollah fighters had been killed by

5904-462: Was a 34-day armed conflict in Lebanon, fought between Hezbollah and Israel. The war 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. It marked the third Israeli invasion into Lebanon since 1978. After Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000, Hezbollah aimed for

5986-483: Was completely destroyed, as Israel would not tolerate a "zone of invulnerability" occupied by a sworn enemy, or a double threat posed by Hezbollah and Hamas rockets, and that Israel might first attack the Gaza Strip . Keegan noted that any IDF entry into Southern Lebanon would risk provoking a clash with UNIFIL, but that it is unlikely to deter Israel, as it tends to behave with "extreme ruthlessness" when national survival

6068-509: Was established at 4,000 troops. This was increased to 6,000 in May 1978. Israeli forces withdrew from the area on 13 June 1978, after which South Lebanon Army (SLA) forces under Saad Haddad remained in the area. UNIFIL began patrolling operations and established a series of positions including checkpoints, roadblocks and observation posts. UNIFIL operations during this time were hindered by restrictions that were imposed on its freedom of movement and

6150-430: Was estimated by the IDF to have been wiped out. According to Israeli journalists Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff the operation was "Israel's most impressive military action" and a "devastating blow for Hezbollah". In the coming days IAF allegedly also attacked and destroyed a large proportion of Hezbollah's long range Zelzal-2 missiles. "All the long-range rockets have been destroyed," chief of staff Halutz allegedly told

6232-548: Was expanded, giving it new duties: In addition, UNIFIL was also authorized to: take all necessary action in areas of deployment of its forces and as it deems within its capabilities, to ensure that its area of operations is not utilized for hostile activities of any kind, to resist attempts by forceful means to prevent it from discharging its duties under the mandate of the Security Council, and to protect United Nations personnel, facilities, installations and equipment, ensure

6314-610: Was explained by the President of Blue Shield International, Karl von Habsburg , who stated: "Cultural assets are part of the identity of the people who live in a certain place. If you destroy their culture, you also destroy their identity. Many people are uprooted, often have no prospects anymore and subsequently flee from their homeland." Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged fire across the Israel-Lebanon border since 8 October 2023. Hezbollah has fired rockets at targets in Israel, while

6396-436: Was killed and two lightly injured by mortar fire as they attempted to recover the bodies. 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

6478-410: Was on the scene, and they did their best to try to prevent it, but they were unable to. Indonesian peacekeepers tried to no avail to calm the situation before the clashes erupted. The fighting increasingly intensified, so the small contingent of UNIFIL forces was ordered to retreat or find cover then report back to the base. The Indonesian contingent, under intense small arms fire and shelling between

6560-475: Was shown that cultural property protection (carried out by military and civil specialists) forms the basis for the future peaceful and economic development of a city, region or country in many conflict zones. The need for training and coordination of the military and civilian participants, including the increased involvement of the local population, became apparent especially at World Heritage Sites . The connection between cultural user disruption and causes of flight

6642-704: Was the main Lebanese paramilitary force supported by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Southern Lebanon. The UN force was overwhelmed within a day. At least one Norwegian peacekeeper was killed in the initial attack. Following this, UNIFIL focused primarily on the distribution of aid and medical support, while a new force, the Multinational Force in Lebanon assumed primacy, being deployed in Beirut until being withdrawn in March 1984. Beginning in 1985, Israel scaled back its permanent positions in Lebanon, although

6724-429: Was the only remaining option. Nasrallah declared that "no military operation will result in rescuing these prisoners... The only method, as I indicated, is that of indirect negotiations and a swap [of prisoners]". Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert described the seizure of the soldiers as an "act of war" by the sovereign state of Lebanon, stating that "Lebanon will bear the consequences of its actions" and promising

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