Despite the fact that Adam Ereli, Deputy Spokesman, Bureau of
Public Affairs, at the United States Department of State,
announced on Sunday evening that Israel had agreed to an
immediate 48-hour suspension of aerial strikes in the wake of
the disaster at the village of Qana in Lebanon early on
Sunday, Israel made clear that it was not a cease-fire and it
was continuing the fight. On Tuesday ground forces entered
south Lebanon and were operating on a broad front. Although
the strategic goals were not announced, many observers said
that it appeared that Israel intended to push Hizbullah north
of the Litani River, about 15 miles into Lebanon and a
natural border.
There is widespread talk of an international force to
guarantee that Hizbullah does not return to Israel's border.
However no one believes that the force would be able to force
Hizbullah out. It is hoped that if Israel forces the
terrorists out, the international force will be able to keep
them out.
Optimistic observers said that the subterfuge in Qana
indicates that Hizbullah wants a cessation of hostilities,
and it tried to achieve this in a way that was successful in
the past, almost exactly a decade ago. They adduced support
for their view by pointing to the fact that Hizbullah rocket
attacks were stopped on Monday and mortar attacks were
sharply reduced. This could be a sign of fatigue on
Hizbullah's part. Or not.
On Sunday morning, Israeli warplanes had attacked a large
building in the Lebanese village of Qana before 1 a.m. and it
collapsed about six hours later. The number killed in the
building is in dispute. Residents said as many as 60 people
had been inside. News agencies reported that 56 had been
killed, and that 34 of them were children. The Lebanese Red
Cross, which conducted the rescue, counted 27 bodies, perhaps
17 of them children.
Israel expressed regret at the deaths of the civilians and
said that it had repeatedly told all residents of the areas
that they should leave. Prime Minister Olmert said: "The
State of Israel deeply regrets the killing of civilians
during operations to halt firing intended to murder Israelis.
Qana serves as a base for launching Katyushas against
residents of the north. The goal was to strike at Hizbullah
and not civilians, whom Hizbullah uses as human shields."
Israel repeatedly told the people of Kafr Qana to leave the
area, and accused Hizbullah of using civilians as human
shields.
Close to 150 Katyusha rockets had been fired from Qana over
the past 20 days at various targets in Israel (see
illustration). Hizbullah hides rocket launchers in civilian
buildings in the village. Video footage shown at a press
conference on Sunday night showed rocket launchers being
driven into buildings in the village following attacks on
northern Israel. The video footage can be seen on the IDF
website (www1.idf.il). At the press conference, the air force
presented evidence that Hizbullah could be to blame for the
building's collapse, which was later repeated in English for
the foreign press.
Israel's spokesmen struggled all day Sunday to respond to
tough questions from the foreign press as images of children
carried out on stretchers from the collapsed Kafr Qana
building were broadcast throughout the world. It is the same
village in which an Israeli artillery shell was said to have
killed over 100 civilians in 1996 during Operation Grapes of
Wrath that was also conducted against Hizbullah. Defense
Minister Peretz said, "When Hizbullah kills civilians in
Haifa, they see it as an operational success. But when we
harm civilians, it's a failure."
Ten years ago the disaster at Qana brought an end to Israeli
shelling in Operation Grapes of Wrath. Conspiracy theorists
suggested that the disaster was staged by Hizbullah in an
attempt to bring about another cease-fire. The Israeli attack
was hours before the building was said to collapse, and the
foreign press happened to be present in force just after the
collapse.
Palestinians have staged casualties in the past. Footage is
available showing "victims" of Israeli gunfire as they later
got up and walked away. Hizbullah is very aware of the power
of the press and it certainly plans actions with their media
impact in mind.
This time around, Israeli politicians said that the lull in
air strikes will give way to increased actions on the ground.
Both the Prime Minister and the Defense Minister said that
they are not interested in an immediate cease-fire and that
the goal is to ensure that Hizbullah is so crippled that it
is no longer a threat and the two Israel Defense Forces
soldiers abducted on July 12 are returned.
On Sunday more Hizbullah rockets fell than ever: over 140. On
Monday no rockets were fired into Israel, but several mortar
shells were. They fell in open areas and started brush fires,
but caused no injuries.
Hizbullah has fired more than 1,600 rockets into northern
Israel since the conflict erupted. At least 300,000 of the
one million residents of the north have been driven from
their homes. Others have been holed up in bomb shelters.
President Bush said that the United States "will work toward
a plan at the United Nations Security Council." But he
reiterated his insistence that the plan would be one "that
addresses the root causes."
"We want there to be a long-lasting peace, one that is
sustainable," Mr. Bush said.
Former prime minister Ariel Sharon's spokesman Ra'anan Gissin
said, "We need to keep up better and we need to be ready in
advance. We need pictures to show the world what Hizbullah
is."
