Operation accountability
| date | July 25, 1993-31. July 1993 |
|---|---|
| place | Lebanon and northern Israel |
| output | Ceasefire for civilian objectives; extensive destruction of Lebanese infrastructure; 300,000 Lebanese displaced during the operation |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| losses | |
|
1 soldier, 2 civilians |
120 Lebanese civilians killed, |
Operation Accountability ( English Operation Accountability ) is the Israeli term for one of the on 25 July 1993 Israeli forces launched military action against Hezbollah in Lebanon . There it is called the Seven Day War because of its duration .
Historical background
Hezbollah, which arose in the turmoil of the Lebanese civil war , was initially financed mainly by Iran . When the 1989 Taif Agreement brokered by the Arab League ended the civil war, it also agreed to dissolve all Lebanese militias . However, Hezbollah interpreted the agreement to mean that it was allowed to continue the fight against Israel as a "resistance group" protected by the constitution. The then head of the military arm of Hezbollah, Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah , took the view that his militia only existed to combat the foreign troops stationed in Lebanon and was never involved in the civil war anyway, so that it was not affected by the agreement. To what extent the toleration of the military arm of Hezbollah by the Lebanese government is to be viewed as a failure or secret support remains a matter of dispute to this day. In any case, Hezbollah continued its low-intensity conflict with Israel.
Casus Belli
In late June 1993, Hezbollah fired at an Israeli village with rockets and were the following month in attacks by Hezbollah and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine five soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces killed (IDF) in the occupied territory. These actions are commonly viewed as triggers for Operation Accountability . However, Hezbollah stated that the grenade bombardment of an Israeli village was in retaliation for the shelling of Lebanese villages by the IDF and South Lebanese Army (SLA) militias , and that the attack on Israeli soldiers in the occupied zone to resist the occupation was legitimate.
Attendees
The IDF forces included artillery, warships, and fighter-bombers. Hezbollah is known to have used mortar shells and missiles. The SLA, which was cooperating with the IDF, broadcast radio warnings on their transmitters and urged civilians to leave certain villages.
Violations of Martial Law
According to Human Rights Watch (HRW) and other human rights organizations, both sides have violated martial law by attacking civilian targets.
During the operation, Israel bombed thousands of homes and buildings. As a result, 300,000 civilians from southern Lebanon fled to Beirut and other areas. Israeli forces also destroyed Lebanese infrastructure and civilian targets, such as important electricity substations and bridges . According to HRW, the IDF has failed to take reasonable steps to minimize civilian casualties and has used weapons that were inappropriate for the circumstances.
Hezbollah retaliated with rocket attacks on Israeli civilian targets, but these caused less damage. Hezbollah has also been accused of hiding weapons in civilian buildings.
Ultimately, Hezbollah declared that the attack on Israeli settlements was only intended to put pressure on Israel to stop attacks on Lebanese civilians - while Israel claimed to have a similar motive behind its attacks.
armistice
After a week, a ceasefire , brokered by the United States , was agreed in the form of an oral agreement. As a result of this agreement, Israel agreed to end its attacks against Lebanese civilians and Hezbollah agreed to limit its military actions against the Israeli occupation in Lebanon.
Loss and damage
In addition to the deaths of 118 civilians, a controversial number of Hezbollah fighters were also killed in Lebanon. Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri said eight had been killed, while Israeli Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin said the number was around fifty. Hezbollah rocket attacks killed two Israeli civilians. The Israeli army had one killed.
Follow-up conflict
Three years later, the conflict escalated again in Operation The Fruits of Anger .
swell
- ↑ Global Security: http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/lebanon.htm
- ↑ Human Rights Watch : http://hrw.org/reports/1996/Israel.htm
- ↑ http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/lebanon.htm
- ↑ http://www.washtimes.com/upi-breaking/20050316-123913-4714r.htm
- ↑ Amnesty International: https://www.amnesty.org/documents/mde15/042/1996/en