Wednesday, 12 July 2006
July 2006, as the books tell it · From the books
Hezbollah captures two Israeli soldiers at the border near Zar'it.
Shortly after 9 a.m. a Hezbollah unit ambushed two Israeli army Humvees patrolling the border fence near Zar'it, opposite Ayta al-Shaab, killing three soldiers and taking two wounded reservists, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, into Lebanon under cover of a rocket and mortar barrage. Five more Israeli soldiers died that day, four in a tank blown up during a pursuit across the border and one by mortar fire, bringing the army's dead to eight. Hezbollah announced that it would exchange the captives for prisoners held in Israel.
Sources differ: Time: 34 Days (Israeli reconstruction) puts the attack shortly after 9:00; Abirached quotes Hezbollah's statement giving 'around 9:05'; 34 Days dates Al-Manar's announcement to 10:15.
Reports at the time: The archive's first report of the capture comes at 10:40 (Al-Manar via AFP), 25 minutes after the time 34 Days gives for Al-Manar's announcement. The toll of eight soldiers appears only at 22:30, after reports of three (17:10) and four in a tank (18:05). Archive times are wire-feed publication times, not event times.
The reports of that day, as they came in
July 2006, as the books tell it · From the books
First Israeli raids on the South and the coastal bridges.
Israel's 'Just Reward' offensive opened with roughly forty air strikes in the South; its bombing there and in Beirut caused serious damage to infrastructure.
Sources differ: Dieckhoff (pdf:192) dates the bombing of bridges and roads across the country from the next day, 13 July.
Reports at the time: The archive records two civilians killed near Ayta al-Shaab at 12:25 on 12 July, strikes on the Zahrani bridge from 17:45 and on Saida's Awali bridge at 22:30.
The reports of that day, as they came in
July 2006, as the books tell it · From the books
Israel's cabinet votes for war; airport and Damascus road approved as targets.
'The Seven', Olmert and six senior ministers, approved strikes that night on Hezbollah's Fajr launchers hidden in homes and limited raids on Beirut airport's runways and the Beirut-Damascus highway, after the full cabinet voted unanimously for a forceful response. Harel and Issacharoff rely on Israeli participants and meeting records.
The reports of that day, as they came in
July 2006, as the books tell it · From the books
Siniora's government says it knew nothing of the operation.
After the afternoon cabinet, Information Minister Ghazi Aridi declared that the government had not known of the operation and was not responsible; March 14 leaders, among them former president Amine Gemayel, publicly attacked Hezbollah. Earlier Prime Minister Fouad Siniora had angrily asked Nasrallah's adviser what Hezbollah had done.
Reports at the time: The archive reports only that Lebanon, through Ghazi Aridi, asked for an urgent Security Council meeting on 'the Israeli aggression' (20:35); the government's disclaimer does not appear in it.
The reports of that day, as they came in
July 2006, as the books tell it · From the books
Nasrallah: the soldiers will be returned only through an exchange.
Hassan Nasrallah told a Beirut press conference that the raid had been five months in preparation and that Israel's new leaders should expect surprises if they sought confrontation; the two soldiers were far away and would come back only through an indirect prisoner exchange.
Reports at the time: The archive carries the statement at 18:50, nearly two hours after the 5 p.m. given by 34 Days.
The reports of that day, as they came in
July 2006, as the books tell it · From the books
Olmert holds the Lebanese state responsible and promises a 'thundering' response.
At a press conference beside Japan's prime minister, Ehud Olmert called the attack the act of a sovereign state and warned that Lebanon, with Hezbollah in its government, would pay. Abirached has chief of staff Dan Halutz vowing to 'set Lebanon back fifty years'.
Reports at the time: The archive reports Olmert calling the attack an 'act of war' from 13:30, consistent with the 12:50 press conference; it does not report Halutz's 'fifty years' remark.
The reports of that day, as they came in
July 2006, as the books tell it · From the books
A Gaza solidarity sit-in turns into the Samidoun relief campaign.
Samidoun ('those who hold fast') began as a mixed coalition of environmental, gay and lesbian, artistic, far-left and student groups that had planned a sit-in and cultural festival for Gaza on the very day the Israeli offensive began. Based at Zico House, it quickly turned to relief work and drew up to three hundred volunteers a day.
Reports at the time: The archive does not mention Samidoun.
Since 2005 · From the books
Hezbollah captures two Israeli soldiers; Israel launches a war on Lebanon.
Hezbollah fighters attacked an Israeli patrol across the border on the morning of 12 July and took two soldiers, whom the party offered to trade for Arab prisoners. Dozens of Israeli air raids on the South followed; strikes on the airport, bridges and roads and an air and sea blockade came next. The war's day-by-day record is in 111101's July 2006 archive (/facts/history/july2006/).
Sources differ: Abirached quotes Hezbollah's announcement of the capture 'around 9.05'; Harel & Issacharoff place the burnt-out vehicles and the start of the search at about 9.45 a.m. These are different moments, not necessarily a conflict.
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