Lebanese rocket attacks on Israel since the 2006 Lebanon War
Encyclopedia
This is a list of rocket
and mortar
attacks on Israel
carried out by Palestinian militant groups and/or Muslim militant groups from Lebanon
.
rocket attacks on Israel
since the 2006 Lebanon War, each attack including one to three rockets. The Lebanese Government has not claimed responsibility for any of the attacks, and has disavowed some of them.
During the war, Lebanese Islamist militant group Hezbollah fired some 4,000 rockets at Israel. As of September 2009, There were an estimated 30,000 rockets in southern Lebanon, near Israel's border, all under the control of Hezbollah.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701
, adopted at the end of the war, called for a full cessation of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel and for the Lebanese government to take full control of its territory, and it authorized the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
(UNIFIL) "to ensure that its area of operations is not utilized for hostile activities of any kind".
. The rockets caused some damage but no casualties.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
called the incident "very disturbing". Russia
n Ambassador to Lebanon Sergei Boukin voiced concern about the incident and said it was a violation of UN Resolution 1701.
Hezbollah denied responsibility. A previously unknown militant Islamic group calling itself "Jihadi Badr Brigades – Lebanon branch" claimed responsibility and vowed to continue attacks, saying: "We had promised our people jihad
. Here, we again strike the Zionists when a group from the Jihadi Badr Brigades struck the Zionists in the occupied Palestinian territory."
in northern Israel. One of the rockets directly hit a nursing home for the elderly. At least two people were wounded, one suffering a broken leg, and others suffered from shock. A witness said that the second floor of the facility, where the residents sleep, sustained heavy damage, and that many lives were saved because they were in the dining hall at the time. Israel Police
ordered residents of the city to remain close to fortified areas, and Shlomi Regional Council residents were told to open their bomb shelter
s; school in the area was cancelled. The incident took place during the Gaza War.
Israel responded by firing five artillery shells into Lebanon, which it said was a pinpoint response at the source of fire.
The Lebanese Office of the Prime Minister rejected the attack on Israel, saying: "Prime Minister Siniora
regards what happened in the south as a violation of the international resolution 1701 and something he does not accept and Siniora called for an investigation into the incident". Hezbollah denied involvement, as did Hamas
sources in Lebanon. An official from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command did not deny responsibility for the attack, and stated: "Don’t be surprised to see more rockets launched into northern Israel. It’s a normal response to Israel’s brutal aggression."
. No injury or damage was reported. Residents fled to bomb shelters.
According to Haaretz
, the attack and the previous one were carried out by Hezbollah through the proxy of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command, a close Hezbollah ally.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon
expressed alarm at the incident and urged restraint from all sides.
into northern Israel, one striking a mostly Christian Arab Israeli village. At least one person was lightly injured.
Israel responded by firing some six artillery shells at the launch area, causing no injuries.
Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora said that the rockets "threatened security and stability" in the region and violated UN Resolution 1701. He also called Israel's retaliation "an unjustified violation of Lebanese sovereignty."
and another near Kibbutz
Gesher Haziv
. No damage or injury was reported. A witness said that the rockets had sparked panic, with residents entering bunkers and children being evacuated from schools. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
said that the attack violated United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 and that Israel would hold the Lebanese government accountable for it.
Israel responded by firing some 12 artillery shells at the launch area, near Qlayleh. No damage or injury was reported.
The United Nations condemned the attack on Israel and urged both sides "to exercise maximum restraint."
According to Lebanese commentators, the attack on Israel was connected to the country's political crisis exacerbated by Saad Hariri
's inability to form a government. United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
(UNIFIL) spokesman Milos Strugar blamed radicals from Palestinian refugee camps in southern Lebanon for the attack.
UNIFIL had been warned of a possible attack 10 days before it occurred, and the UN body informed the Lebanese army two days before the attack.
into northern Israel, striking an open area east of Kiryat Shmona
. The rocket caused a fire, but no serious damage or injury was reported. An Israeli military spokeswoman said Israel was treating the shooting "very seriously" and that it held the Lebanese government responsible.
Israel responded with artillery fire at Lebanon, causing no casualties, and lodged a complaint with the United Nations.
Lebanese President Michel Suleiman
said that an "Israeli agent" was responsible for the attack. The Brigades of Abdullah Azzam, Battalions of Ziad Jarrah, a group linked to Al-Qaeda
, claimed responsibility. In a statement, the group linked the attack to the 2009 Temple Mount riots
: "The occupying Jews
have dared to repeatedly raid the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Mosque
... In response to this aggression, a battalion among the Battalions of Ziad Jarrah" fired the Katyusha, the group said. The United States
condemned the attack and, in a reference to Hezbollah, said it underscored the need to disarm all Lebanese groups.
UNIFIL launched an inquiry into the incident. The following day, the Lebanese military discovered four more rockets, ready to be fired, in a the garden and on the balcony of a house belonging to the mayor of Hula.
The Lebanese Army later arrested Fadi Ibrahim of Ein el-Hilweh near Sidon
for firing the rocket. Ibrahim was said to be a member of Fatah al-Islam
, which is linked to al-Qaida. According to Lebanese daily A-Safir, Ibrahim and his followers were responsible for the subsequently discovered rockets as well.
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
and mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
attacks on Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
carried out by Palestinian militant groups and/or Muslim militant groups from Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
.
After the 2006 Lebanon War until the present
There have been six documented LebaneseLebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
rocket attacks on Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
since the 2006 Lebanon War, each attack including one to three rockets. The Lebanese Government has not claimed responsibility for any of the attacks, and has disavowed some of them.
During the war, Lebanese Islamist militant group Hezbollah fired some 4,000 rockets at Israel. As of September 2009, There were an estimated 30,000 rockets in southern Lebanon, near Israel's border, all under the control of Hezbollah.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 is a resolution that was intended to resolve the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict.It was unanimously approved by the United Nations Security Council on 11 August 2006. The Lebanese cabinet, which includes two members of Hezbollah, unanimously approved the...
, adopted at the end of the war, called for a full cessation of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel and for the Lebanese government to take full control of its territory, and it authorized the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, was created by the United Nations, with the adoption of Security Council Resolution 425 and 426 on 19 March 1978, to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon which Israel had invaded five days prior, restore international peace and security,...
(UNIFIL) "to ensure that its area of operations is not utilized for hostile activities of any kind".
June 17, 2007
Two Katyusha rockets were fired from Lebanon at northern Israel, striking the town of Kiryat ShmonaKiryat Shmona
Kiryat Shmona is a city located in the North District of Israel on the western slopes of the Hula Valley on the Lebanese border. The city was named for the eight people, including Joseph Trumpeldor, who died in 1920 defending Tel Hai....
. The rockets caused some damage but no casualties.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
Ehud Olmert
Ehud Olmert is an Israeli politician and lawyer. He served as Prime Minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009, as a Cabinet Minister from 1988 to 1992 and from 2003 to 2006, and as Mayor of Jerusalem from 1993 to 2003....
called the incident "very disturbing". Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n Ambassador to Lebanon Sergei Boukin voiced concern about the incident and said it was a violation of UN Resolution 1701.
Hezbollah denied responsibility. A previously unknown militant Islamic group calling itself "Jihadi Badr Brigades – Lebanon branch" claimed responsibility and vowed to continue attacks, saying: "We had promised our people jihad
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
. Here, we again strike the Zionists when a group from the Jihadi Badr Brigades struck the Zionists in the occupied Palestinian territory."
January 8, 2009
At least three Katyusha rockets were fired from southern Lebanon into the area of NahariyaNahariya
Nahariya is the northernmost coastal city in Israel, with an estimated population of 51,200.-History:Nahariya was founded by German Jewish immigrants from the Fifth Aliyah in the 1930s...
in northern Israel. One of the rockets directly hit a nursing home for the elderly. At least two people were wounded, one suffering a broken leg, and others suffered from shock. A witness said that the second floor of the facility, where the residents sleep, sustained heavy damage, and that many lives were saved because they were in the dining hall at the time. Israel Police
Israel Police
The Israel Police is the civilian police force of Israel. As with most other police forces in the world, its duties include crime fighting, traffic control, maintaining public safety, and counter-terrorism...
ordered residents of the city to remain close to fortified areas, and Shlomi Regional Council residents were told to open their bomb shelter
Bomb shelter
A bomb shelter is any kind of a civil defense structure designed to provide protection against the effects of a bomb.-Types of shelter:Different kinds of bomb shelters are configured to protect against different kinds of attack and strengths of hostile explosives. For example, an Air-raid shelter...
s; school in the area was cancelled. The incident took place during the Gaza War.
Israel responded by firing five artillery shells into Lebanon, which it said was a pinpoint response at the source of fire.
The Lebanese Office of the Prime Minister rejected the attack on Israel, saying: "Prime Minister Siniora
Fouad Siniora
Fuad Siniora is a Lebanese politician, a former Prime Minister of Lebanon, a position he held from 19 July 2005 to May 25, 2008 the date of the election of the new President of Lebanon; he was renominated to the post on 28 May 2008 and held the post as Acting President between those...
regards what happened in the south as a violation of the international resolution 1701 and something he does not accept and Siniora called for an investigation into the incident". Hezbollah denied involvement, as did Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
sources in Lebanon. An official from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command did not deny responsibility for the attack, and stated: "Don’t be surprised to see more rockets launched into northern Israel. It’s a normal response to Israel’s brutal aggression."
January 14, 2009
In the second such attack in a week, rockets were fired from Lebanon into northern Israel, landing near the town of Kiryat ShmonaKiryat Shmona
Kiryat Shmona is a city located in the North District of Israel on the western slopes of the Hula Valley on the Lebanese border. The city was named for the eight people, including Joseph Trumpeldor, who died in 1920 defending Tel Hai....
. No injury or damage was reported. Residents fled to bomb shelters.
According to Haaretz
Haaretz
Haaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
, the attack and the previous one were carried out by Hezbollah through the proxy of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command, a close Hezbollah ally.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
expressed alarm at the incident and urged restraint from all sides.
February 21, 2009
Two rockets were fired from near the Lebanese coastal town of NaqouraNaqoura
Naqoura is a small city in southern Lebanon. Since March 23, 1978 until present, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon has been headquartered in Naqoura....
into northern Israel, one striking a mostly Christian Arab Israeli village. At least one person was lightly injured.
Israel responded by firing some six artillery shells at the launch area, causing no injuries.
Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora said that the rockets "threatened security and stability" in the region and violated UN Resolution 1701. He also called Israel's retaliation "an unjustified violation of Lebanese sovereignty."
September 11, 2009
Two Katyusha rockets were fired from Lebanon into northern Israel, one striking near NahariyaNahariya
Nahariya is the northernmost coastal city in Israel, with an estimated population of 51,200.-History:Nahariya was founded by German Jewish immigrants from the Fifth Aliyah in the 1930s...
and another near Kibbutz
Kibbutz
A kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism...
Gesher Haziv
Gesher Haziv
Gesher HaZiv is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Situated in the Western Galilee on the coastal highway between Nahariya and the Lebanese border, opposite the Akhziv National Park, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Asher Regional Council...
. No damage or injury was reported. A witness said that the rockets had sparked panic, with residents entering bunkers and children being evacuated from schools. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu is the current Prime Minister of Israel. He serves also as the Chairman of the Likud Party, as a Knesset member, as the Health Minister of Israel, as the Pensioner Affairs Minister of Israel and as the Economic Strategy Minister of Israel.Netanyahu is the first and, to...
said that the attack violated United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 and that Israel would hold the Lebanese government accountable for it.
Israel responded by firing some 12 artillery shells at the launch area, near Qlayleh. No damage or injury was reported.
The United Nations condemned the attack on Israel and urged both sides "to exercise maximum restraint."
According to Lebanese commentators, the attack on Israel was connected to the country's political crisis exacerbated by Saad Hariri
Saad Hariri
Saad-eddine Rafiq Al-Hariri is a Saudi-Lebanese billionaire who served as the Prime Minister of Lebanon from 2009 until 2011. He is the second son of Rafiq Hariri, the former Lebanese Prime Minister who was assassinated in 2005...
's inability to form a government. United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, was created by the United Nations, with the adoption of Security Council Resolution 425 and 426 on 19 March 1978, to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon which Israel had invaded five days prior, restore international peace and security,...
(UNIFIL) spokesman Milos Strugar blamed radicals from Palestinian refugee camps in southern Lebanon for the attack.
UNIFIL had been warned of a possible attack 10 days before it occurred, and the UN body informed the Lebanese army two days before the attack.
October 27, 2009
A Katyusha rocket was fired from Lebanese town of HulaHula, Lebanon
Hula is a small village in southern Lebanon on the southern side of the Litani river near the Lebanese-Israeli borders...
into northern Israel, striking an open area east of Kiryat Shmona
Kiryat Shmona
Kiryat Shmona is a city located in the North District of Israel on the western slopes of the Hula Valley on the Lebanese border. The city was named for the eight people, including Joseph Trumpeldor, who died in 1920 defending Tel Hai....
. The rocket caused a fire, but no serious damage or injury was reported. An Israeli military spokeswoman said Israel was treating the shooting "very seriously" and that it held the Lebanese government responsible.
Israel responded with artillery fire at Lebanon, causing no casualties, and lodged a complaint with the United Nations.
Lebanese President Michel Suleiman
Michel Suleiman
Michel Suleiman or Sleiman is the President of Lebanon. Before assuming office as President, he held the position of commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces. After LAF commander Émile Lahoud took office as president in November of 1998, Suleiman succeeded him, taking his place in December...
said that an "Israeli agent" was responsible for the attack. The Brigades of Abdullah Azzam, Battalions of Ziad Jarrah, a group linked to Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
, claimed responsibility. In a statement, the group linked the attack to the 2009 Temple Mount riots
2009 Temple Mount riots
The 2009 Temple Mount riots by Muslim Palestinians erupted on 27 September 2009 and were ongoing as of 25 October. Violence spread through East Jerusalem and parts of the West Bank, and included throwing of Molotov cocktails and stones at Israeli security forces and civilians...
: "The occupying Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
have dared to repeatedly raid the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Mosque
Al-Aqsa Mosque
Al-Aqsa Mosque also known as al-Aqsa, is the third holiest site in Sunni Islam and is located in the Old City of Jerusalem...
... In response to this aggression, a battalion among the Battalions of Ziad Jarrah" fired the Katyusha, the group said. The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
condemned the attack and, in a reference to Hezbollah, said it underscored the need to disarm all Lebanese groups.
UNIFIL launched an inquiry into the incident. The following day, the Lebanese military discovered four more rockets, ready to be fired, in a the garden and on the balcony of a house belonging to the mayor of Hula.
The Lebanese Army later arrested Fadi Ibrahim of Ein el-Hilweh near Sidon
Sidon
Sidon or Saïda is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate of Lebanon, on the Mediterranean coast, about 40 km north of Tyre and 40 km south of the capital Beirut. In Genesis, Sidon is the son of Canaan the grandson of Noah...
for firing the rocket. Ibrahim was said to be a member of Fatah al-Islam
Fatah al-Islam
Fatah al-Islam, is a radical Sunni Islamist group that formed in November 2006 in a Palestinian refugee camp, located in Lebanon. It has been described as a militant jihadist movement that draws inspiration from al-Qaeda...
, which is linked to al-Qaida. According to Lebanese daily A-Safir, Ibrahim and his followers were responsible for the subsequently discovered rockets as well.
November 29, 2011
At least two rockets fired from Lebanon landed inside of Israeli territory near Biranit and Netua in the Western Galilee, some 700 meters from the Lebanese border. No injuries or damage were reported. Later other two rockets fired from Lebanese territory struck northern Israel, damaging two buildings. In response, Israeli guns shelled the area where the fire had originated.See also
- Israeli-Lebanese conflict
- Palestinian rocket attacks on IsraelPalestinian rocket attacks on IsraelPalestinian rocket and mortar attacks on Israel from the Gaza Strip have occurred since 2001. Between 2001 and January 2009, over 8,600 rockets had been launched, leading to 28 deaths and several hundred injuries, as well as widespread psychological trauma and disruption of daily life.The weapons,...
- Civil defense in IsraelCivil defense in IsraelCivil defense in Israel deals with a variety of military and terrorist threats to the civilian population, which have included concealed bombs such as suicide bombings and car bombs, projectiles such as missiles, rockets and mortars, and hijacking of aircraft, buses and buildings...
- Israeli casualties of war