2006 Qana airstrike

Israeli airstrike in Lebanon the 1996 massacre Qana massacre July 2020 yes 2006 Qana airstrike the 2006 Lebanon War 2006 Qana massacre.jpg Lebanese Red Cross and Civil Defense workers carrying a child's body Airstrike, massacreHirst David David Hirst (journalist) Beware of Small States: Lebanon, Battleground of the Middle East Nation Books 2010 978-0-7867-4441-1 https://books.google.com/books?id=32-qgHJYWZQC Qana II: In the second massacre within a decade to befall the place where Christ is said to have performed his first miracle 362 October 24, 2021 July 30, 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230730012311/https://books.google.com/books?id=32-qgHJYWZQC live Sriram C.L. King J.C. Mertus J.A. Martin-Ortega O. Herman J. Surviving Field Research: Working in Violent and Difficult Situations Taylor & Francis 2009 978-1-134-01018-9 https://books.google.com/books?id=F1F5AgAAQBAJ&pg=PT165 2021-10-23 107 The Qana massacre refers to the July 30, 2006 attack by Israel on a village in Lebanon that killed 28 people, more than half of whom were children July 30, 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230730012311/https://books.google.com/books?id=F1F5AgAAQBAJ&pg=PT165 live Qana, South Governorate, Lebanon 33 12 52 N 35 17 55 E type:event inline,title Lebanon 250 Location of Qana within Lebanon Qana 2006 07 30 1:00 a.m. EET UTC+02:00 Israel 28 ~8 The 2006 Qana airstrike (also referred to as the 2006 Qana massacrehttp://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2006/806/fr2.htm Al-Ahram Weekly – Front Page – Here && Now: Turn not the other cheek Assem El-Kersh December 15, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20130508023848/http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2006/806/fr2.htm May 8, 2013 deadhttps://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5228554.stm BBC News Qana makes grim history again July 31, 2006 May 22, 2010 Martin Asser May 3, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190503221122/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5228554.stm live or the second Qana massacrehttps://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-why-do-they-hate-the-west-so-much-we-will-ask-1230046.html https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-why-do-they-hate-the-west-so-much-we-will-ask-1230046.html May 1, 2022 subscription live The Independent London Why do they hate the West so much, we will ask January 7, 2009 May 22, 2010Lebanese website blames Hizbullah for Qana deaths Roee Nahmias Ynetnews http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3284514,00.html August 1, 2006 August 2, 2009 December 14, 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20091214004314/http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3284514,00.html live ) was an airstrike carried out by the Israeli Air Force (IAF) on a three-story"Qana 'stronger' on anniversary of Israeli attack https://web.archive.org/web/20100402061416/http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=1&article_id=84174 April 2, 2010 , Daily Star, July 30, 2007 building in the small community of al-Khuraybah near the South Lebanese village of Qana on July 30, 2006, during the 2006 Lebanon War. The strike killed 28 civilians, 16 of whom were children.Reuters (July 9, 2007). "Factbox – War in Lebanon, one year ago" https://web.archive.org/web/20090805062333/http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L0959275.htm August 5, 2009 . Retrieved July 30, 2007.Dozens killed in IDF strike Ynetnews http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3283311,00.html July 30, 2006 February 22, 2012 Waked Ali November 27, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121127011104/http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3283311,00.html live Israel halted airstrikes for 48 hours following the attack, amid increasing calls for a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrillas.Israel halts airstrikes for 48 hours July 30, 2006 CNN http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/07/30/mideast.main/index.html March 11, 2009 August 3, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180803194602/http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/07/30/mideast.main/index.html live Initial media reports stated that more than 50 people, including 37 children, had been killed,"The children went to sleep believing they were safe. And then Israel targeted them as terrorists. The Daily Telegraph, July 31, 2006""34 Youths Among 56 Dead in Israeli Attack https://web.archive.org/web/20080609232228/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2253175 June 9, 2008 . ABC News, July 30, 2006" although later reports revised this to a lower figure of 28, including 16 children, with 13 people reported missing."Israel/Lebanon: Qana Death Toll at 28" https://web.archive.org/web/20081028020603/http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2006/08/02/lebano13899.htm October 28, 2008 , Human Rights Watch, August 2, 2006Ghattas, Sam F. "Human Rights Watch, Lebanese Red Cross and civil defense report lower Qana death toll." Associated Press. August 3, 2006. International News. August 31, 2006 LexisNexis Academic. Residents dug through the rubble with their hands, searching for survivors as bodies were removed. Video broadcast by Arab TV showed the bloodied bodies of women and children who appeared to be wearing nightclothes.Israel halts airstrikes for 48 hours July 30, 2006 lCNN http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/07/30/mideast.main/index.html August 6, 2006 August 3, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180803194602/http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/07/30/mideast.main/index.html live The Israel Defence Forces (IDF), although it admitted striking the building, initially denied that the explosion that caused the mass deaths were the result of their attack. This was contested by Qana's residents, who said the building collapsed due to the Israeli bombing.https://www.haaretz.com/news/qana-villagers-refute-idf-claims-building-fell-hours-after-strike-1.194060 Qana villagers refute IDF claims building fell hours after strike Haaretz July 30, 2006 November 16, 2013 January 16, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140116182017/http://www.haaretz.com/news/qana-villagers-refute-idf-claims-building-fell-hours-after-strike-1.194060 dead According to the IDF, the bombing was an attempt to stop Katyusha rockets supposedly being fired by Hezbollah into northern Israel from the village over a two-week periodhttp://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull&cid=1153292030858 IDF: 150 rockets fired from Qana at Israeli cities Jerusalem Post April 20, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20120203063245/http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1153292030858&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull February 3, 2012 dead and said residents were warned to leave."Israel halts airstrikes for 48 hours." https://web.archive.org/web/20221030171054/http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/07/30/mideast.main/index.html?section=cnn_world October 30, 2022 CNN.com. July 30, 2006. January 2, 2014. According to Human Rights Watch, international observers and journalists said there was no evidence the building served any military purpose."Israel/Lebanon: Qana Death Toll at 28" https://web.archive.org/web/20081028020603/http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2006/08/02/lebano13899.htm October 28, 2008 , Human Rights Watch, August 2, 2006. September 1, 2006. Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora accused Israel of war crimes and asked, "Why, we wonder, did they choose Qana yet again?",Israeli strike kills dozens in Lebanon July 30, 2006 International Herald Tribune http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/07/30/news/mideast.phpMay 2022 InternetArchiveBot yes in reference to an artillery shelling carried out by Israeli forces that killed over 100 civilians at a UN compound 10 years before. Kofi Annan urged the United Nations Security Council to condemn the attack. right|thumb|305px|Map of South Lebanon showing location of Qana Attack; medical and humanitarian response The airstrike was carried out using two bombs, at least one of which was precision guided, which were dropped in the hour following 1 a.m. on July 30, The second bomb was dropped five to fifteen minutes after the first. The aerial attack killed members of the Shalhoub and Hashem families who had used an underground garage below a three-story apartment building as a shelter during the bombing. Initial news reports state that the families were asleep when the two bombs were dropped on their building. While Israel had directed residents of South Lebanon to flee the conflict, roads out of the area were also subject to Israeli bombardment.Sabrina Tavernise, "A Night of Death and Terror for Lebanese Villagers https://web.archive.org/web/20160117013851/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/31/world/middleeast/31scene.html?ex=1311998400&en=21c5a19c3088aba2&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss January 17, 2016 ," The New York Times, July 31, 2006 One of the eight survivors of the blast said that attacks on the roads out of Qana discouraged the two families from leaving.Ilene R. Prusher and Nicholas Blanford, "New urgency for Lebanon cease-fire https://web.archive.org/web/20090817072554/http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0731/p01s04-wome.html August 17, 2009 ," Christian Science Monitor, July 31, 2006. Anthony Shadid, reporting for The Washington Post, described the scene he saw that day: "Most of the dead had choked on flying dirt and other debris. Their bodies, intact, preserved their final gestures: a raised arm called for help, an old man pulled on pants. Twelve-year-old Hussein Hashem lay curled in the fetal position, his mouth seeming to have vomited earth. Mohammed Chalhoub sat on the ground, his right hand broken. Khadja, his wife and Hasna, his mother, were dead, as were his daughters, Hawra and Zahra, aged twelve and two. As were his sons, Ali, ten; Yahya, nine; and Assem, seven."Anthony Shadid,House of Stone: A Memoir of Home, Family and a Lost Middle East, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012 p.4. The Christian Science Monitor reported that further airstrikes and artillery attacks, which destroyed several houses in Qana, delayed the rescue response. Sami Yazbuk, the head of the Red Cross in Tyre, told The Guardian that the first call about the bombing was received at 7 a.m. He said that previous shelling on the road to Qana had delayed the arrival of Red Cross personnel.UN 'They found them huddled together' https://www.theguardian.com/israel/Story/0,,1833884,00.html The Guardian July 31, 2006 London dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060821200526/http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,,1833884,00.html August 21, 2006 Casualties According to Lebanese Red Cross and Tyre hospital records, 28 people were recorded killed in the attack on Qana. At least eight people in the homes survived the attack, some of whom were wounded."Dozens, including 21 refugees in the back of a pickup truck on July 15, have been killed by Israeli strikes while trying to evacuate." Sabrina Tavernise, "A Night of Death and Terror for Lebanese Villagers https://web.archive.org/web/20160117013851/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/31/world/middleeast/31scene.html?ex=1311998400&en=21c5a19c3088aba2&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss January 17, 2016 ," The New York Times, July 31, 2006 The dead ranged in age from nine months to 75 years.Human Rights Watch. Fatal Strikes: Israel's Indiscriminate Attacks Against Civilians in Lebanon https://web.archive.org/web/20061020023856/http://www.hrw.org/reports/2006/lebanon0806/index.htm October 20, 2006 , August 2006. The victims were unable to be buried until August due to the continued Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon.Qana mothers bury their children - News Al Jazeera 2006-08-20 https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2006/8/20/qana-mothers-bury-their-children 2022-02-15 February 16, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220216042950/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2006/8/20/qana-mothers-bury-their-children live A funeral in Qana took place for 30 people on August 18, with all 27July 2025 The figure 28 is used several times the article. victims of the airstrike buried. Twenty-six of the victims had their coffins draped with the Lebanese flag, while one was draped in a Hezbollah flag to signify his being a Hezbollah sympathizer. Three Hezbollah fighters from Qana who were killed in fighting unrelated to the airstrike outside of Qana were also buried that day, two alongside the airstrike victims and one elsewhere in the city, and their coffins were also covered in the Hezbollah flag.Why They Died Human Rights Watch 2007-09-05 https://www.hrw.org/report/2007/09/05/why-they-died/civilian-casualties-lebanon-during-2006-war 2022-02-15 February 14, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220214234950/https://www.hrw.org/report/2007/09/05/why-they-died/civilian-casualties-lebanon-during-2006-war live Lebanese Bury Victims of Qana Airstrike https://www.voanews.com/a/a-13-2006-08-19-voa5/313268.html Voice of America (VOA) October 31, 2009 10 February 2022 February 10, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220210095055/https://www.voanews.com/a/a-13-2006-08-19-voa5/313268.html live Reactions Responding to the incident, Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora denounced "Israeli war criminals" and canceled talks with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. In a television address to the country, he said, "There is no place on this sad morning for any discussion other than an immediate and unconditional cease-fire as well as an international investigation into the Israeli massacres.""Lebanon cancels talks with Rice, July 30, 2006" After the announcement, Rice canceled her planned visit to Beirut. Prime Minister Siniora appealed to the U.N. Security Council for an emergency session, which held consultations on July 30, 2006. In a statement, the Security Council expressed the world body's "extreme shock and distress" at the Qana bombing and offered its condolences for the deaths. The airstrike on Qana threatened to derail work toward a resolution in the 19-day conflict between Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah guerrillas. In Beirut, outrage over the attack sparked violent protest at a U.N. office, with protesters using rocks, boards and poles to break into the building. In Gaza, Palestinian security forces had to eject about 2,000 demonstrators who had stormed the U.N. compound there in protest against the Qana attack."Israel halts airstrikes for 48 hours https://web.archive.org/web/20180803194602/http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/07/30/mideast.main/index.html August 3, 2018 , July 30, 2006" In Israel, thousands joined in protests on July 30, most of them in the Arab village of Umm al-Fahm, but also including hundreds of Gush Shalom and Meretz supporters in separate demonstrations in Tel Aviv, and smaller numbers in Haifa and the Galilee."Hundreds of anti-war protestors in Haifa and TA https://web.archive.org/web/20080624113022/http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3283901,00.html June 24, 2008 Yedioth Ahronoth, July 31, 2006 The Association for Civil Rights in Israel called for state commission of inquiry into "a blatant violation of two basic principles of humanitarian law and international criminal law."Yakir, Dan. ACRI calls for state inquiry into Lebanese civilian deaths https://web.archive.org/web/20100820003510/http://www.acri.org.il/eng/story.aspx?id=325 August 20, 2010 The Association for Civil Rights in Israel. July 31, 2006 International reaction International reactions to the 2006 Qana airstrike thumb|right|250px|Protest in Times Square, New York City, August 3, 2006. The Qana airstrike was condemned by several countries and non-governmental organizations, as well as resulting in public demonstrations in a number of countries in the Middle East and elsewhere. On July 31, in response to global criticism, Israel agreed to suspend air strikes over southern Lebanon for up to 48 hours, which would allow for further civilian evacuations from the area, as well as investigation of the incident but said it would not refrain from responding to imminent threats.Israel halts fire for Qana probe BBC July 31, 2006 https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/5229932.stm July 31, 2006 December 6, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20101206083846/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/5229932.stm live During that time, Hezbollah also halted cross-border rocket fire into Israel.Israel Pushes On Despite Agreeing to Airstrike Lull The New York Times August 1, 2006 https://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/01/world/middleeast/01mideast.html?n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/People/R/Rice,%20Condoleezza Craig S. Smith Steven Erlanger May 22, 2010 January 18, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140118012538/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/01/world/middleeast/01mideast.html?n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/People/R/Rice,%20Condoleezza live The International Committee of the Red Cross said in a July 30 statement on the IDF's attack on Qana: "Issuing advance warning to the civilian population of impending attacks in no way relieves a warring party of its obligations under the rules and principles of international humanitarian law." It also called for "a distinction to be drawn at all times between civilians and civilian objects on the one hand, and military objectives on the other. All necessary precautions must be taken to spare civilian life and objects and to ensure that the wounded have access to medical facilities."http://www.icrc.org/Web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/Lebanon-news-300706!OpenDocument Lebanon/Israel: ICRC alarmed by high number of civilian casualties and disrespect for international humanitarian law July 30, 2006 August 2, 2006 https://web.archive.org/web/20060809165642/http://www.icrc.org/Web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/Lebanon-news-300706!OpenDocument August 9, 2006 Red Cross worker Sami Yazbak, who was helping to pull bodies from the building, said that "many of the children who were sleeping inside were handicapped." Human Rights Watch also warned that the "consistent failure to distinguish combatants and civilians is a war crime."Qana bombs an Israeli 'war crime' https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5232434.stm BBC News July 31, 2006 August 1, 2006 February 4, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120204082825/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5232434.stm live In an interview with Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot, an IDF general confirmed that throughout the 2006 Lebanon war Israel pursued a strategy of not differentiating between civilians and combatants in order to keep the casualty toll on the Israeli side low.http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3605863,00.html The Dahiya strategy – Israel finally realizes that Arabs should be accountable for their leaders' acts Yaron London October 6, 2008 January 2, 2014 May 6, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180506024308/https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3605863,00.html live Journalist commentary Some commentators have pointed out similarities to the 1996 shelling of Qana, in which over 100 civilians were killed by Israeli anti-personnel shells on a UN compound. In the first case, Israel alleged that it fired without knowing the compound harbored civilians. The allegation was put into question after evidence came out that, at the time of the strike, Israel was spying on the compound with two helicopters and a drone.https://www.independent.co.uk/news/massacre-film-puts-israel-in-dock-1345897.html Massacre film puts Israel in dock Fisk Robert May 6, 1996 The Independent https://web.archive.org/web/20190422123514/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/massacre-film-puts-israel-in-dock-1345897.html April 22, 2019 live Both incidents resulted in increased pressure on Israel to declare a cease-fire. Qana's strategic location at the confluence of five major roadways and on the northern edge of Hezbollah-controlled southern Lebanon may have contributed as to its repeatedly being caught in the crossfire.https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5228554.stm Qana makes grim history again Asser Martin July 31, 2006 BBC News August 3, 2006 https://web.archive.org/web/20190503221122/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5228554.stm May 3, 2019 live Position of Israel Israeli Defense Force spokesmen initially reported that the building had collapsed several hours after Israeli bombing. According to the IAF Chief of Staff, Brigadier-General Amir Eshel, the building was attacked a little after midnight. He also alleged that he did not know when the building collapsed, but: "according to foreign press reports, and this is one of the reports we are relying on, the house collapsed at 8 A.M. We do not have testimony regarding the time of the collapse. If the house collapsed at 12 A.M., it is difficult for me to believe that they waited eight hours to evacuate it."IDF says it may not be responsible for Qana deaths https://web.archive.org/web/20060803060316/http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/744426.html August 3, 2006 , Haaretz, August 1, 2006 In addition, it was reported that senior IAF officers had said that the collapse could have been caused by an unexploded missile or by a Hezbollah-planted explosive device.https://www.jpost.com/Israel/Kana-collapse-was-hours-after-attack-30111 Kana collapse was hours after attack Katz Yaakov July 30, 2006 The Jerusalem Post https://web.archive.org/web/20190531032622/https://www.jpost.com/Israel/Kana-collapse-was-hours-after-attack-30111 May 31, 2019 live The IDF's excuses were immediately denounced by Qana's residents and witnesses of the strike, who said the Israeli shelling was responsible for the collapse. An elderly man who survived the strike said a Hezbollah device could not be the cause of the explosion, since Israeli destruction of local infrastructure made it impossible that weaponries be moved towards the building.https://www.hrw.org/news/2006/08/01/israellebanon-qana-death-toll-28 Israel/Lebanon: Qana Death Toll at 28 August 2, 2006 Human Rights Watch December 4, 2016 April 17, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150417022445/http://www.hrw.org/news/2006/08/01/israellebanon-qana-death-toll-28 live frame|right|IDF still shot identification of a rocket being launched from near Qana houses thumb|right|321px|Screen captures from an IDF video showing rockets being launched from near Qana houses Israeli Chief of Staff Dan Halutz expressed regret over the incident and apologized for the pain the Lebanese people had endured, while also blaming the Hezbollah for using the villagers as "human shields","Israeli regret over Qana bombing" BBC News. August 3, 2006. December 15, 2007. a tactic the IDF accused Hezbollah militants of using throughout the war."Hizbullah's exploitation of Lebanese population centers and civilians." https://web.archive.org/web/20100501185202/http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2006/Operation%20Change%20of%20Direction%20Video%20Clips May 1, 2010 Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. July 30, 2009.Heyman, Charles. "Might in the air will not defeat guerillas in this bitter conflict." https://web.archive.org/web/20110622083523/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article697176.ece June 22, 2011 Times Online. August 2, 2006. July 31, 2009.Nir, Ori. "Israeli Military Policy Under Fire After Qana Attack." https://web.archive.org/web/20090805035431/http://www.forward.com/articles/575/ August 5, 2009 August 4, 2006. July 31, 2009.https://www.ewtnnews.com/world/us/hezbollah-uses-christian-villages-as-shields-in-missile-attacks Hezbollah uses Christian villages as shields in missile attacks December 15, 2014 August 11, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190811121909/https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=7314 live In its report on civilian casualties during the war, however, independent researchers at Human Rights Watch concluded that there was no evidence that Hezbollah fired at Israel from populated areas.https://www.hrw.org/pt/node/10734/section/10 Why They Died (VI. Hezbollah Conduct during the War) Amnesty International September 6, 2007 ...we did not find evidence that Hezbollah otherwise fired its rockets from populated areas. The available evidence indicates that in the vast majority of cases Hezbollah fighters left populated civilian areas as soon as the fighting started and fired the majority of their rockets from pre-prepared positions in largely unpopulated valleys and fields outside villages December 4, 2016 January 2, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140102195620/http://www.hrw.org/pt/node/10734/section/10 live The Christian Science Monitor likewise found Hezbollah fighters launched their rockets at Israel from unpopulated areas that they declared no-go zones to Lebanese civilians.Hizbollah and the IDF: Accepting New Realities Along the Blue Line The MIT Electronic Journal of Middle East Studies, Vol. 6, Summer 2006 Summer 2006 Nicholas Blanford Witnesses of the strike denied Hezbollah fighters were present near the compound at the time Israel shelled it. But Israel's ambassador to the United Nations Dan Gillerman initially accused Hezbollah of being responsible for the civilian deaths: "Israel has [beseeched] and asked repeatedly for the residents of Qana to leave. I would not be surprised if the Hezbollah made them stay."http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/07/31/1435210 Headlines for July 31, 2006 Democracy Now! December 15, 2014 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20071115045758/http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06%2F07%2F31%2F1435210 November 15, 2007 According to Human Rights Watch, though many civilians in South Lebanon refused to abandon their homes and act on the IDF's warnings, many others were unable to flee due to crumbled infrastructure.https://www.hrw.org/news/2006/07/29/israellebanon-israel-responsible-qana-attack Israel/Lebanon: Israel Responsible for Qana Attack July 30, 2006 Human Rights Watch December 4, 2016 April 11, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150411144349/http://www.hrw.org/news/2006/07/29/israellebanon-israel-responsible-qana-attack live Israel singled out much of Lebanese civilian infrastructure for destruction throughout the warhttps://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE18/007/2006 Lebanon: Deliberate destruction or "collateral damage"? Israeli attacks on civilian infrastructure August 22, 2006 Amnesty International December 4, 2016 September 12, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130912061104/http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE18/007/2006 dead and at the end of the conflict the damage was estimated to top 2.5 billion dollars.http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-08-07-lebanon-damage_x.htm Lebanese infrastructure damage tops $2.5B August 7, 2006 USA Today January 2, 2014 January 2, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140102195847/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-08-07-lebanon-damage_x.htm live "Clearly, we did not know the civilians were in the way," said IDF spokesman Jacob Dalal, who added that Israel was exercising its right to defend itself with its campaign of airstrikes. Israel reserved the right to take action against targets preparing attacks against it during the 48-hour period, an Israeli official said. Other officials called the attack a tragic mistake.Israel halts air strike for 48 hours https://web.archive.org/web/20180803194602/http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/07/30/mideast.main/index.html August 3, 2018 , CNN.com, July 30, 2006 (accessed January 18, 2007) Israel also arranged with U.N. officials to allow safe passage for 24 hours so residents of southern Lebanon can flee the region. The official confirmed an earlier announcement by U.S. State Department spokesman Adam Ereli, who said the bombing halt should "significantly speed and improve the flow of humanitarian aid." A high-ranking IAF officer said on July 31 that the IDF had targeted the village since July 28, when it struck 10 targets there, and that the building that was hit on July 30 was chosen as a target after Israeli intelligence indicated that Hezbollah soldiers along with Katyusha rockets and launchers were hidden inside. The IDF has claimed that the airstrike was in response to over 150 Katyusha rockets fired from the area of the village into Israel in a two-week period.Weiss Efrat IDF: We assumed building in Qana to be empty Ynetnews Ynet News August 3, 2006 http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3285572,00.html January 12, 2007 January 15, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130115093508/http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3285572,00.html live The IDF also said that they believed the building to be empty. "We warned the residents that we would be attacking there," a high-ranking IDF officer said, "We work under the belief that the villages are empty and that whoever is there is affiliated with Hezbollah." Amnesty accused Israel of assuming without grounds that its alleged warnings to civilians were acted upon, and firing indiscriminately at civilians remaining based on that assumption.https://www.hrw.org/pt/node/10734/section/11 Why They Died (VII. Israeli Conduct During the War Civilian Deaths Amnesty International September 6, 2007 December 4, 2016 January 2, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140102195652/http://www.hrw.org/pt/node/10734/section/11 live The IDF did not release footage of the airstrike itself, but did release a video it said was taken some time before the incident showing Katyusha rockets being fired southwest of Qana. The video also showed rocket launchers being hidden in buildings but the buildings were not identified as being in Qana as was reported."IDF: 150 rockets fired from Qana at Israeli cities" https://web.archive.org/web/20120205235836/http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1153292036218&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull February 5, 2012 , The Jerusalem Post, July 30, 2006 On August 6, the BBC News reported that in a second attack in Qana, the IDF destroyed the Hezbollah rocket launchers in the village used against targets in Haifa, Israel."Hezbollah launches rocket barrage ", BBC News. August 6, 2006. August 31, 2006. Timeline of events according to IDF Accounts have differed regarding the timing of events at Qana. According to reports of the incident:Qana villagers refute IDF claims building fell hours after strike https://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/744332.html Haaretz July 31, 2006 August 1, 2006 August 24, 2006 https://web.archive.org/web/20060824224151/http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/744332.html dead right|300px In the two weeks prior to the bombing, Hezbollah fired a number of Katyusha rockets from an area between Qana and the nearby village of Al Ṣiddiqin. The Israeli Defence Forces identified a building in the hamlet of Al Khuraybah just north of Qana as a Hezbollah hideout/weapons store. Around 1:15 A.M on July 30, 2006, the Israel Air Force bombed the building in al-Khuraybah. At least part of the building collapsed instantly, killing at least several young children who were sheltering inside. Following the initial strike, some of the people in the building exited in an attempt to survey the damage. Within ten minutes, a second IAF airstrike hit the building, causing the walls to collapse on the residents who did not vacate, killing them in the process. Allegations of a hoax and of staging 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict photographs controversies Following the attack, commentary in Israeli newspapers like Arutz Sheva asserted that the loss of life reported during the Qana attack was brought about by Hezbollah fighters themselves, in order to generate anti-Israel sympathy.https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/109072 Evidence Mounts that Kana "Massacre" Was a Fake Fendel Hillel August 3, 2006 Arutz Sheva https://web.archive.org/web/20060914080110/http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=109072 September 14, 2006 live On August 2, the Israel Defense Forces stated they were "aware of the rumors",https://www.jpost.com/Israel/Bloggers-raise-questions-about-Kana Bloggers raise questions about Kana Izenberg D. August 2, 2006 The Jerusalem Post https://web.archive.org/web/20120206030758/http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1153292055086&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull February 6, 2012 live Siegel-Itzkovich J. Rosen N. although the allegations did not form part of their later statement on the bombing. On Fox News, there were claims that some widely circulated photographs of the dead in Qana were staged.Fox News Channel, "'Green Helmet Man' accused of staging pix", August 15, 2006 Investigations into the airstrike On August 1, the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, reported:"As the Israel Air Force continues to investigate the air strike [at Qana], questions have been raised over military accounts of the incident. It now appears that the military had no information on rockets launched from the site of the building, or the presence of Hezbollah men at the time. The Israel Defense Forces had said after the deadly air-strike that many rockets had been launched from Qana. However, it changed its version on Monday. The site was included in an IAF plan to strike at several buildings in proximity to a previous launching site. Similar strikes were carried out in the past. However, there were no rocket launches from Qana on the day of the strike."Stern, Yoav, Yuval Yoaz, and Amos Harel. Livni: Qana attack led to turning point in support for Israel https://web.archive.org/web/20060830143055/http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/745185.html August 30, 2006 ." Ha'aretz. 1 August 2006. 1 September 2006. Bomb details A piece of bomb fuselage bearing the markings (in English) "FOR USE ON MK-84 GUIDED BOMB BSU-37/B (ASSY) 96214-700922-6" was unearthed by Lebanese Civil Defense officials at the scene and verified by international media.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/30/AR2006073000093_pf.html Israel Moves to Suspend Air Attacks for 2 Days After Strike in Lebanese Village Kills 57 Civilians Cody Edward July 31, 2006 The Washington Post https://web.archive.org/web/20160326125754/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/30/AR2006073000093_pf.html March 26, 2016 live Finer Jonathan May 31, 2019 Human Rights Watch right|thumb|305px|Memorial to the 28 people killed by the Qana airstrike According to Human Rights Watch on August 2, the initial estimate of 54 persons killed was based on a register of 63 persons who had sought shelter in the basement, and the rescue teams first having located only nine survivors. However, it was later established that 22 had escaped the basement and that 28 bodies had been recovered, of whom 16 were children. There were still 13 people missing, and locals feared they were buried in the rubble. Human Rights Watch also added that its own researchers, who visited Qana on July 31, the day after the attack, did not find any destroyed military equipment in or near the house. They reported: "Similarly, none of the dozens of international journalists, rescue workers and international observers who visited Qana on July 30 and 31 reported seeing any evidence of Hezbollah military presence in or around the home. Rescue workers recovered no bodies of apparent Hezbollah fighters from inside or near the building." IDF investigation On August 2, the IDF concluded its investigation into the attack on Qana. The report was not released to the public but was presented to IDF Chief of Staff Dan Halutz and Defense Minister Amir Peretz. In a statement read out to the press, Chief of Staff Halutz's summary of the report was given."Completion of inquiry into July 30th incident in Qana" https://web.archive.org/web/20121017021517/http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Communiques/2006/Completion+of+inquiry+into+July+30+incident+in+Qana+2-Aug-2006.htm October 17, 2012 , IDF, August 2, 2006 The IDF stated that the building was thought to have been empty, and "was struck at 00:25 Sunday by two bombs launched by the IAF. One of the bombs exploded and the other was apparently a dud." The statement accused Hezbollah of using human shields and claimed that the IDF "operated according to information that 'the building was not inhabited by civilians and was being used as a hiding place for terrorists.' Had they known that civilians were in the building, the attack would not have been carried out." The statement also noted that "the building was adjacent to areas from which rockets had been launched towards Israel",http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?apage=1&cid=1154525796295&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull IDF: Intel. failure caused Kana deaths August 3, 2006 The Jerusalem Post August 11, 2006 https://web.archive.org/web/20110816170806/http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?apage=1&cid=1154525796295&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull August 16, 2011 dead and prior to the July 30 attack, "several other structures were attacked in the same area, because they served as terrorist infrastructure." The IDF did not explicitly take responsibility for the casualties, but Halutz was quoted as saying that he "expressed his sorrow for the deaths of civilians, among them children, in the incident in Qana". Amnesty International responded by describing the inquiry as flawed and "a whitewash", and called for an independent inquiry which has the "capacity to cross borders and talk to survivors of the attack as well as to the forces involved."Amnesty International, Israel: IDF inquiry into Qana a whitewash, August 3, 2006. Human Rights Watch likewise called for an independent international inquiry, saying that the IDF's report did not explain the attack, that it in effect raised more questions than it answered, and that it contradicted eyewitness accounts of the timing, which denied legitimate military targets were around the building.Human Rights Watch http://peoplesgeography.com/2006/08/05/idf-fails-to-explain-qana-bombing-independent-international-inquiry-required/ IDF Fails to Explain Qana Bombing: Independent International Inquiry Required August 3, 2006 November 16, 2013 January 17, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160117013851/http://peoplesgeography.com/2006/08/05/idf-fails-to-explain-qana-bombing-independent-international-inquiry-required/ live August 6 attack On August 6 the IDF announced that a missile launcher located in the area of Qana which had fired rockets into Haifa was later destroyed in an Israeli airstrike.http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/08/06/mideast.main/index.html Hezbollah rockets pound northern Israel: report August 6, 2006 https://web.archive.org/web/20060814194510/http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/08/06/mideast.main/index.html August 14, 2006 dead CNN As part of the announcement the IDF released a video of the launcher which showed three rocket launchers in an area the video described as "between Qana and Zidkin." This area is a large uninhabited area to the southwest of Qana.IDF video #7: Hizbullah fires missiles from Qana and Zidkin (Aug 6) August 6, 2006 IDF http://www.mfa.gov.il/NR/rdonlyres/A1CFBCE8-EFC5-48A7-AAB7-C439435E7063/0/QanaZidkin682006.wmv August 9, 2006 May 6, 2013 https://archive.today/20130506221944/http://www.mfa.gov.il/NR/rdonlyres/A1CFBCE8-EFC5-48A7-AAB7-C439435E7063/0/QanaZidkin682006.wmv live See also Israel Lebanon 2006 al-Qaa airstrike 2006 Ghaziyeh airstrikes 2006 Shiyyah airstrike Allegations of war crimes against Israel 2006 Marjayoun convoy airstrike Salam Daher List of extrajudicial killings and political violence in Lebanon References 3 External links Channel 4 News report on the attack Video of the scene of the air strike in the morning from Al Manar TV ar Undated Israeli Aerial Surveillance footage of Hezbollah rockets launched South West outside Qana en he Satellite view of Qana showing the area to the bottom left of the image where rockets were fired on an unspecified date. Category:2006 building bombings Category:Airstrikes during the 2006 Lebanon War Category:Residential building bombings in Lebanon Category:Israeli war crimes in Lebanon Category:July 2006 in Lebanon Category:Massacres committed by Israel Category:Massacres in 2006 Category:Massacres in Lebanon Category:Tyre District Category:21st-century mass murders in Lebanon