Features

Lakehead Student Recalls The Israeli Invasion of His Homeland this Summer, and Provides a Different Perspective about the group Hezbollah

By Mahmoud Zeitoun, with files from Josh Fewings/ Argus

For Canadians it may be difficult to comprehend having bombs dropped within feet of your house. Equally separate from our reality is essentially living in a bomb shelter for a month. When it comes to war and conflict, it hasn’t been since 1812 that any fighting has truly occurred in this country. For the country of Lebanon, this summer, and the past, has been full of bombs, war and invasions. Even as recently as last week, student protestors were killed during a heated protest regarding the political alignment of the nation. This past summer’s invasion by Israeli Forces led the south of the country to be nearly flattened by bombing, with over 1,300 civilians, mostly children, killed. The Israelis used cluster bombs in south Lebanon. The bombs injured and killed many people as they returned to their homes. Up to date figures show that 250 people have died due to these cluster bombs with many bombs still present in the environment.
The conflict began over two captured Israeli soldiers, as the military group Hezbollah was attempting to trade these men for their own prisoners. Seen by many as a ruthless Terrorist group, Mahmoud Zeitoun sees a different side. During the invasion by Israel he says that, ‘the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Naserallah, appeared on television with very honest and pointed remarks.’ He continues that, ‘He told the Lebanese people exactly what as going on.’ During the invasion Hezbollah also provided medical aid, shelter, food, and help to those who had been horribly affected or displaced by the conflict. Mahmoud Zeitoun is a student here at Lakehead and the following are his words and memories of thirty days of hell.

The 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, known in Lebanon as the July Invasion and in Israel as the Second Lebanon War, was a military conflict in Lebanon and northern Israel. The principal parties were Hezbollah forces and the Israeli military. The conflict started on July 12, 2006, and continued until a United Nations brokered ceasefire went into effect on August 14, though it formally ended on 8 September when Israel lifted their naval blockade of Lebanon.
Hezbollah has been launching attacks on Israeli forces in south Lebanon, and specifically in Mazara’a Shiba’a, ever since Lebanon’s victory in 2000 when the Israeli forces withdrew from south Lebanon. It was no surprise for the Israeli forces to have an operation in the south, by Hezbollah. In fact, in the first week of the July ‘06 Invasion, Hassan Naserallah, the leader of Hezbollah, discovered and announced the Israeli plan to invade Lebanon in mid-October. Their surprise plan was spoiled through the intelligence gathered by Hezbollah.
Food supplies and medical support began to be imported from neighbouring countries until the Israeli Forces bombed the roads that cross through Lebanon, making it difficult to import any more goods. In addition to that, I personally witnessed an example of Israeli Forces bombing an imported van loaded with goods heading towards the homeless and displaced people of South Lebanon. The van was bombed right in front of my house, perhaps 10 meters away from the front door. The bomb, dropped by an Israeli plane, slammed through the van and into the front where the driver and passenger were sitting. The men were instantly on fire and burning alive in the vehicle. After seeing this occur, some neighbours and I approached the van to help these men. When we got within a short distance another bomb was dropped into the back of the van to keep us from helping the burning aid-workers. We called the fire department, and minutes later they arrived. As the fire truck approached the van to put out the blaze it was suddenly blasted by yet another bomb. The fire truck was struck again and again by the Israeli Forces and became immersed in flames. Four people died on the scene and it was obvious that there were no terrorists, or violent actions in my village, and so this was a sign of the seriousness of the invasion.
The Israeli Forces bombed the Lebanese-Syrian border and the Bekaa Valley area every day at 4:00AM with huge amounts of explosives. The whole Bekaa valley used to shake with mass explosions, awakening every little child from their sleep. The children would wake up terrified and frightened, wondering whether it will be their day to die.
Where was Hezbollah during the whole invasion? Hezbollah was engaged in several battles in South Lebanon. The military-based political party was guarding the length of the Southern border of Lebanon. Every attack the Israeli Forces attempted to engage in, and their effort to enter Lebanon with their tanks and forces, was resisted back to the Lebanese-Palestinian border by the Hezbollah fighters. It was reported that a large number of the Israeli tanks were destroyed along with some number of bulldozers that were opening the way in front of the tanks. During the entire invasion, Hezbollah launched rockets from different locations in the south of Lebanon towards northern locations in Israel. Hezbollah mainly targeted military areas and chemical plants along with some other companies in Haifa. A number of rockets targeted civilians and evacuated homes. Hezbollah seemed willing to have an army versus army fight, instead of an army to civilian fight. Israel chose to target civilians along with Hezbollah fighters. In all some 1,187 Lebanese civilians were killed, while an estimated 44 Israeli civilians were killed in the conflict. It is worth noting that there was a number of schools that were destroyed and a number of hospitals and a number of factories and industrial companies all throughout Lebanon that were destroyed due to the extremely heavy air-strike. Bridges and roads were completely destroyed all across Lebanon making it very difficult to cross to the other towns. I will list some of the facts that happened during the invasion in a chronological order. However, there are a lot more massacres that happened in between these dates and during the last bits of the invasion. Massacres happened in all areas of Lebanon mainly in the south as villages, and cities were hit hard by Israeli forces.

13 July 2006
Israel began attacks on civilian targets with the bombing of Beirut International Airport, forcing its closure and diversion of incoming flights to Cyprus. Israel subsequently imposed an air and sea blockade on Lebanon, and bombed the main Beirut – Damascus highway. Hezbollah’s Nasrallah addressed Israel, saying “We only want to trade prisoners, we did not intend to battle through our operation, but if you are going to fight and kill civilians, we will fight back”.

14 July 2006
The Israeli Forces bombed Nasrallah’s offices in Beirut. Heavy explosives were used in Beirut to bring down high residential buildings. Israel threatened Hezbollah: for every rocket being shot at Israel, they will bring down 10 buildings in Beirut. And they did bring down 10 buildings in one-minute’s time. They used over 20 tons of explosives and residence of Beirut witnessed 10 tall buildings sinking down to their base.

18 July 2006
The Israeli Forces bombed the town of Ramayal resulting in a huge massacre. Dead people lay on the streets and under their home ceilings. Men, women, and young children were smoked and burnt with “chemical bombs”. Bombings all around that area included 33 deaths and 15 injures in other towns such as: Burj rahal, and Alhawsh, Al Nabatyia, and al Wardane.

19 July 2006
The Israeli Forces bombed day and night the town of A’ataron again, leaving 22 dead people and 26 injured. Also the Israeli Forces bombed on this day towns of: Qana, Alnakuura, Talousa, Rashya and Baalabek City leaving many deaths and injuries behind.

20 July 2006
The Israeli Forces carried more destruction and more violence bringing down houses and bridges. It was the most violent day for south Lebanon. 53 dead and 62 others were injured. The town of Sareefa had the most of these violent attacks on this day where 10 houses were destroyed and 27 people died injuring more than 30 others. Similar attacks happened in the town of A’anata on this day. In the Nabatyia city, a family of six died in their home. Other towns like Debeen, Ramaysh, A’yta Al shaeb, Burj Al shamale, and Kafarshouba, had also witnessed loss of life from bombs on this day.

21 July 2006
The Israeli’s violence continued on carrying away the life of dozens of civilians. The roads were heavily bombed and so were the towns of A’kar, Halousia, Abbassia, Ra’se Al 3ayn, and Ma’alouf in Baalabek; leaving behind large numbers of deaths and injured all around.

22 July 2006
Another massacre occurred in Baalabek. There were 17 air strikes that lead to the death of 5 civilians and 21 injured. More air strikes in the south lead to the killing of 7 civilians and injuring more than 10 people. Israeli Forces went destroying television poles and wireless telephone radars.

23 July 2006
Reporter Layaly Najeeb died due to air strikes on the road to Qana town. Other civilians were hunted down by the Israeli Forces in their cars while they were running away to the north of Lebanon, escaping the attacks against civilians.

24 July 2006
More dead civilians were found dead in Baalabek, Beirut-Althaheya, Tebnin town, Mays al jabel town, and Sheesheen town. The town of Sheeshen had 8 members from one family die under the ceiling of their own home.

25 July 2006
Red Cross ambulances were being bombed in Sour (Tyre). Six paramedics were shot, breaking the International human rights law. In addition, a number of civilians died and injured this day in several towns in southern Lebanon. Israeli Forces engaged Hezbollah forces in the Battle of Bint Jbeil.

26 July 2006
The Israeli Forces attacked and destroyed UN observer post in the town of Al Khyam. In the city of Al Nabataya, Israeli air strikes killed 4 military generals along with 7 civilians that were living in one home. Also in this day 4 civilians died in Beirut-Thahya al Janoubya.

27 July 2006
More massacres. Air strikes were targeted against moving vehicles, motorcycles, and trucks in the Bekaa valley and in the south. Heavy battles were still in progress in Bent-Jbayl between Israeli Forces and Hezbollah fighters.

29 July 2006
A number of massacres happened in the towns of Kafar Jawz and Yater. In the town of Dayr Kanoon Al Nahr 15 civilians were killed under the air strikes. Also in the town of Hadatha was a horrible attack against a family of six killing them under in their home. The city of Sour have gathered, from the area, 102 civilians and buried them in this day. 32 other civilians were added to the buried bodies that died that same day.

30 July 2006
The Israeli forces added two more massacres in the town of Nayria, killing a family of 7 people and in the town of A’yn Arab destroying 5 houses on the heads of its owners, killing 6 civilians. Also on this day, a historic chained massacre in Qana happened. Israeli air strikes hit an apartment building in Qana. Israeli forces had warned the residents to leave as quickly as possible. Many moved out and those who had no transportation hid in buildings until they found a way out. A building that housed nearly 100 innocent people, mostly women and children, was bombed 2:00AM while they were asleep. The reporters woke up 8:00AM in the morning hearing the sad news and calling for help. The air strike was widely condemned by nations outside of Israel.

31 July 2006
More massacres happened in these days of the invasion. The Israeli Forces and Hezbollah forces engaged in the Battle of Ayta ash-Shab. Israeli forces were trapped and frightened with laser beams that were used by Hezbollah fighters in the center of Ayta ash-Shab. The lasers made the Israeli soldiers feel like they were being aimed at with guns. Israeli sources reported that Israeli soldiers were running back to Israel with physiological issues. They were given alcohol and drugs at various locations in South Lebanon to survive the battles.

1 August 2006
Israeli commandos launched a kidnapping operation and landed in Baalbek near Dar al-Hikmeh hospital west of Baalbeck. They kidnapped five civilians including one bearing the same name as Hezbollah’s leader, “Hassan Nasrallah”. They were told that Hezbollah’s fighters were hospitalized there but later they found no fighters at all. Rather they killed civilians in that city and kidnapped innocent people.

4 August 2006
The Israeli Forces attacked a building in the area of al-Qaa around 10 kilometers (six miles) from Hermel in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon. Thirty-three farm workers, mostly Syrian and Lebanese Kurds, were killed during the air strike.

5 August 2006
Israeli commandos carried out a nighttime raid in Tyre.

7 August 2006
The Israeli Forces attacked the Shiyyah suburb in the Lebanese capital of Beirut, destroying several apartment buildings in the suburb, killing more than 50 residents and injuring at least a hundred.

11 August 2006
The Israeli Forces attacked a convoy of approximately 750 vehicles containing Lebanese police, army, civilians, and one Associated Press journalist, killing at least 20 people. More massacres and more dead as the invasion worked towards an end.

12 August 2006
The Israeli Forces established its hold in South Lebanon. Over the weekend Israeli forces in southern Lebanon nearly tripled in size and were ordered to advance towards the Litani River.

13 August 2006
Israeli Forces carried out a series of air strikes against civilian house all over Lebanon. More than 200 air strikes in the south, 25 strikes in Beirut, 40 strikes in Baalabek and the Bekaa Valley destroying houses, schools, electrical stations, and leaving behind a large number of deaths and a large number of injuries.

14 August 2006
The Israeli Forces targeted a Palestinian faction in the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp in Sidon, killing a UNRWA staff member and killing other Palestinian refugees. Other refugees had been killed in an attack on this camp six days prior to the incident.

14 August 2006
A ceasefire is brokered by the U.N. and seems to hold between both sides.

8 September 2006
The official end of the conflict is signaled by the lifting of Israel’s naval blockade of Lebanon.