Summary
Israeli military operation in Lebanon in April 1996, authorised by Prime Minister Shimon Peres against Hezbollah in the “security zone” in South Lebanon, which ended on April 27, 1996 under American pressure without result and contributed to the Labor Party’s election loss, as presented by Zionist Israel and the Question of Palestine (Zionist Israel and the Question of Palestine, PDF p.149-151 / printed p.140-142).
Details
- The operation followed the Shin Bet killing of Yahya Ayyash on January 6, 1996 and the Hamas suicide attacks of February and March 1996 in which sixty Israelis were killed; according to Shlaim, Lebanon was a “tempting retaliation target” so close to the parliamentary elections (PDF p.147, 149).
- The army leadership and Foreign Minister Ehud Barak pushed for air raids to force the majority of the civilian population of South Lebanon to flee north, hoping the refugees would pressure the Lebanese government and Syria to restrain Hezbollah (PDF p.150).
- Air strikes on South Lebanon, Beirut and the Beqaa Valley began on April 11, 1996; approximately 400,000 civilians fled the area, while Hezbollah still fired Katyusha rockets into northern Israel (PDF p.150).
- Peres did not enlighten the Israeli public on the operation’s specific political goals, “in order to avoid high, unattainable aspirations” (PDF p.150).
- From a military standpoint the operation ended without result: Israel had neither consolidated its presence in South Lebanon nor won the support of its inhabitants for such a presence (PDF p.151).
Related pages
Hezbollah, Yahya Ayyash, Shimon Peres, Lebanon invasion 1982, Zionist Israel and the Question of Palestine