This is a timeline of events related to the 2006 Lebanon War.
July 12–19
Wednesday, July 12 The conflict began on July 12 when 8 Israeli soldiers were killed and a further two were captured during a cross-border attack. At approximately 9 am local time, Hezbollah's military wing launched a barrage of rockets and mortars on the northern Israeli town of Shlomi, apparently as a diversion.
An Israeli border patrol consisting of two armored IDF Humvees patrolling on the Israeli side of the border near the village of Zar'it was attacked with anti-tank rockets killing three soldiers, wounding three, and abducting two into Lebanon's territory. Hezbollah has named this operation "True Promise.". The IDF confirmed that two Israeli troops were abducted from Israeli territory by Hezbollah, and identified them as Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. An Israeli Merkava Mark II tank was damaged by a 300 kg improvised explosive device as it crossed the border in Lebanon, attempting to pursue Hezbollah. All four of the crew members were killed. Another Israeli soldier was killed when he came under heavy fire during an attempted recovery of the bodies from the tank. In all, 8 soldiers were killed, 2 captured and 6 wounded. Israel's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Mark Regev claims the Hezbollah unit that captured the two soldiers is trying to transfer them to Iran. However, the spokesman did not disclose his source. Israel attacked Hezbollah's TV station Al-Manar and radio station Al-Nour in Haret Hreyk (Harat Hurayk), a southern suburb of Beirut, and in Baalbeck.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah later declared that "No military operation will return them [the captured soldiers]... The prisoners will not be returned except through one way: indirect negotiations and a trade [of prisoners]."Hizbullah leader calls for prisoner exchange – Al Bawaba – July 12, 2006
The attacks came two weeks after the beginning of the Gaza Strip-focused Operation Summer Rains by the Israel Defense Forces whose objective was to free the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit captured on June 25, 2006, by Hamas militants in an earlier cross-border attack organized by Hamas that left two Israeli soldiers dead.
In negotiations for the 2004 prisoner exchange, Hezbollah had sought the release of Lebanese prisoners held by Israel. While many were released, Hezbollah failed to achieve the release of Samir Kuntar. Having failed to achieve this objective, Hassan Nasrallah declared that the organization would carry out further operations at a later date to gain the release of the remaining prisoners. The Hezbollah leader later called for talks on prisoner exchange which was officially rejected by Olmert. However it was widely believed that negotiations were underway with Egypt as mediator.
Israel called together an emergency cabinet meeting, during which Prime Minister Olmert said that it held the Beirut government responsible for the attack, vowing that it would pay a "heavy price" for the attacks, adding "The Lebanese government, of which Hezbollah is a part, is trying to shake regional stability". Plans to locate "thousands" of reserve troops were also announced. Israeli Defence Minister Amir Peretz also said that "the State of Israel sees itself free to use all measures that it finds it needs, and the [Israeli Forces] have been given orders in that direction." The United Nations envoy to the region, Geir Pedrson, condemned the Hezbollah action and called on Hezbollah to release the soldiers.
Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad 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. Hezbollah's action aroused varying reactions among Lebanese political forces. It was harshly criticised by many members of the largely anti-Syrian parliamentary majority, while Michel Aoun, despite his understanding with the party, declared that he supported the government's position.
In response, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a series of air and artillery strikes at positions in southern Lebanon, generally seen as the support base for Hezbollah. Israeli General Dan Halutz threatened to "turn Lebanon's clock back 20 years" in a reference to the destruction Lebanon suffered in its bloody civil war. Israeli troops later bombed a main road in the south of Lebanon leaving two civilians dead, and a series of air-raids followed during the night which also targeted the civilian infrastructure. Israel said that they were trying to prevent the captured soldiers from being removed to Iran.
Thursday, July 13
On Thursday, July 13, Israel began implementing a land and sea blockade on Lebanon. The Beirut International Airport (the sole international airport in Lebanon) was bombed, forcing all international flights to be diverted to Cyprus. The Israeli army said the airport had been used to smuggle in weapons to Hezbollah.
Many roads and bridges were struck by Israel, essentially cutting off the predominantly Shia southern Lebanon from the Capital in Beirut.Warplanes also bombed the road to Damascus, the capital of Syria, and struck a bridge in a suburb south of Beirut, a place highly valued by Hezbollah. They also struck a power plant's fuel storage south of Beirut (but did not destroy the plant itself). People living in this region heard at least three strikes. No casualties were reported. However, the strike eventually resulted in the spilling of over 15,000 tons of heavy fuel oil, affecting of coastline and threatening aquatic life and fishing. Israeli jets attacked two Lebanese military air bases, destroying runways which Israel claims were used by the Hezbollah to transfer supplies. Attacks against the Rayak air base in the eastern Bekaa Valley near the Syrian border and the Qulayaat military airport (also known as Kleyate or Rene Mouawad airport) in northern Lebanon were the first attacks against Lebanon's army in the conflict.
An unnamed senior IDF officer stated that the strikes were targeted against rocket launch sites and rocket storerooms, although, he said, many of them were intentionally located by Hezbollah in civilian population centers. An unnamed Lebanese official responded that "Hezbollah did not store arms in civilian areas." Air strikes were also carried out against outposts of Hezbollah. Israel had named the overall operation "Just Reward", and Maj.-Gen. Udi Adam of the Northern Command, says Israel has not ruled out sending ground forces into Lebanon.
Hezbollah declared an all-out military alert, and said it had 13,000 rockets capable of hitting towns and installations far into northern Israel. As a result, Defense Minister Peretz told commanders to prepare civil defense plans, and some 220,000 Israeli civilians spent the night in bomb shelters. Hezbollah continued to fire rockets at Israel, killing one Israeli civilian, a 40-year-old in Nahariya, and wounding 14 others. Another Israeli civilian, a 33-year-old man in Safed, later died from the wounds inflicted.
Hezbollah had threatened to hit the city Haifa, "if the southern suburbs and the city of Beirut are subjected to any direct Israeli aggression". Two rockets hit Haifa, hours after the threat. Hezbollah denied firing any rockets at the city. Israeli sources later reported that two rockets were fired from inside Lebanon. The attack is the first time rockets have hit so far south into Israel. One shock injury had been reported from these initial attacks on Haifa.
Twelve members of one Lebanese family were reported by Lebanese authorities to have been killed when Israeli planes bombed their home in the Lebanese village of Zibqine, near Tyre. According to the Lebanese government, in Dweir, a small village near Nabatiye, Israeli planes dropped a bomb onto the home of a local Shia Muslim cleric, killing him, his wife and eight of his children. Another family from that same village was also reported to have lost seven members following Israeli bombing. (requires registration) Israel intensified its response on Lebanon by attacking the Beirut International Airport and damaging three runways.
The Lebanese government called for a Cease-fire, claiming the Israeli response was "disproportionate", a view echoed by France and Russia. 35 Lebanese civilians are believed to have been killed.Israel imposes Lebanon blockade – BBC News – Thursday, July 13, 2006
Friday, July 14
The Israeli offensive into Lebanon continues, and for the first time the offices of Hezbollah are bombed. Hezbollah declares "open war".
The Israeli Sa'ar 5-class missile boat INS Hanit that was blockading the waters off of the Lebanese coast was damaged in the stern after being hit by a C-802 anti-ship missile. Various sources are reporting that the missile is Chinese-made while others report that it was Iranian-made or procured from Iran, a charge which Iran denies. It is known that China has provided Iran with this type of missile in the past.Israeli Ship Struck By Missile Returning To Port; Israeli Offensive Continues – All Headline news – July 14, 2006 Early on there were mistaken reports that it had been hit by an unmanned aerial vehicle packed with explosives, and that there was no serious damage to the ship.Israel Says Warship Attacked by Drone, AP, July 14, 2006 Israel immediately recovered one sailor's body, and three more were found two days later.
An Egyptian civilian merchant ship, the Moonlight,Hezbollah guerrillas hit Egyptian merchant ship, AP, July 15, 2006 was hit by a Hezbollah rocket, caught in the cross-fire as Hezbollah was firing on the Israelis. The ship was registered in Cambodia, but sailing under Egyptian flag, carrying several hundred tons of cement. The ship sank in minutes, but the Egyptian crew managed to board lifeboats and was picked up by another civilian vessel. One crewman, however, was seriously injured. – News Corporation – July 16, 2006
Hezbollah launched about 100 Katyusha rockets on Israeli towns of Nahariya, Safed, Hatzor HaGlilit, Rosh Pina, Kiryat Shmona, and Karmiel, and in the agricultural settlements Mattat, Sasa, Peki'in, Beit Jan, Biria, Biranit, Kabri, Gesher Haziv, Sa'ar and Ben Ami, resulting in 30 injuries. Late the same day, a Katyusha in Meron killed two people, a grandmother and her 5-year-old grandson, and residents of Haifa are reportedly being ordered into bomb shelters.
The Jerusalem Post reported that an attempt by a group of Hezbollah members to enter Israel was stopped by IDF.
The number of Lebanese civilians killed in the Israeli strikes rises above 50, and the United Nations convened an emergency meeting of the Security Council where Lebanon accused Israel of launching "a widespread barbaric aggression".Lebanon hammers Israeli 'aggression' – London Free Press, Can. – Sat, July 15, 2006
Saturday, July 15
Three Patriot anti-ballistic missile batteries were deployed in Haifa. These are aimed at intercepting missiles launched at Haifa. The last time Patriot missiles were deployed to the region was in 2003, during the Iraq War.
Israeli Defence Minister Amir Peretz has declared martial law throughout north Israel.
On July 15, Israel attacked commercial ports in the towns of Beirut and Tripoli, as well as ports in Jounieh and Amsheet, two predominantly Christian towns.
A witness reported that at least 15 Lebanese villagers were killed on July 15 in an Israeli air strike on vehicles fleeing a village in southern Lebanon. The convoy left the border village of Marwahin, was refused asylum in a U.N. base and afterwards it was attacked. It is also reported that some hours before the strike, Israeli forces had told the inhabitants of the village to evacuate by loudspeaker.
Sunday, July 16