Operation Grapes of anger

See also: Grapes of anger (homonymy)

The Raisins operation of anger is the name of an military operation of the Israeli armed in April 1996, aiming during 16 days the forces of the Hezbollah to the Southern Lebanon in order to put an end to the shootings of rockets Katioucha against the cities of the north of Israel, and particularly against the town of Qiryat Shemona.

639 rockets aimed at the north of Israel. In answer to these attacks, more than 1100 raids were carried out by the Israeli air force and more than 25000 shells were released.

An agreement of cease-fire was obtained the April 27th 1996 to prevent more victims among the civilians. This offensive made in sixteen days 175 died and 351 wounded, essentially of the civilians, and threw on the roads of Lebanon more than 300.000 refugees.

One of the most outstanding episodes of this conflict was the bombardment of Cana, an installation of UNO touched by the Israeli shells, which resulted in the death of 118 civilians Lebanese.

Context of the climbing

This operation proceeds 14 years after the Opération Peace as a Galileo of 1982 during whom the Israeli Armée had invaded Lebanon until Beirut there to dislodge PLO and to establish in 1985 a zone-plug in the south of Lebanon in order to prevent the attacks against the Israeli territory. In 1993, the Israeli forces carry out an operation of scale in vain to put a term at the actions of the Hezbollah which continues its attacks against Tsahal, the Armée with South-Lebanon and of the inhabited areas.

In April 1996, Israel tries once again to subject Hezbollah while launching the Raisins operation of anger.

Casus Belli

March 30th, 2 men are killed in Yafar (Lebanon) by a missile launched by the Israeli army (Israel recognized its error). The Hezbollah answers by the shooting of 20 missiles against the north of Israel. A bomb, which explodes on a road, kills 14 years a Lebanese boy and wounds 3 people at the village of Barashit, which gives a reason to the Hezbollah to fire 30 new missiles against the cities from the north of Israel, on April 9th. The missiles of Hezbollah make 6 wounded among the Israeli civilians. The Israeli officers then announce the operation Raisins of the anger (which begins on April 11th) like an answer to rocket fires but also like preventive operation to weaken the Hezbollah (Amnesty 1996).

Course of operation

The targets of the Israeli raids are primarily launching pads of Katioucha, the installations of Hezbollah and its militants, as well as the infrastructures civilians which are employed with operations of Hezbollah, according to Israel.

Broadcast transmissions prevent the population so that she flees the area (between 300.000 and 500.000 people evacuate the zone then). Hezbollah to inform in its turn the populations of the north of Israel of its intention to intensify its attacks, making take refuge 30.000 people.

The attacks which follow make between 154 and 170 dead in Lebanon, according to the various sources. Approximately 350 civilians are wounded in Lebanon (HRW 1997) and 62 Israeli civilians are wounded [http://hrw.org/reports/1997/isrleb/Isrleb-02.htm#P635_149465].

The damage on the Lebanese infrastructure is important, with the destruction of bridges and power stations of energy. According to HRW, 2018 houses and buildings were destroyed or seriously damaged by the bombardments.

Israel estimated at 150 million Shekel S the damage whose country was victim. The estimates of the damage are of 20 million on the civil dwellings and of 40 million indirect way for industry of tourism.

Cease-fire

The American diplomacy obtains an abstract agreement written of israélo-Lebanese cease-fire after the death of 102 civilians Lebanese refugees in a camp of blue helmets with Qana. Announced the April 26th with 18:00, it is effective the following day with 4:00.

The agreement prohibits all new attack against civilians on both sides of the border, as well as the use of the frontier villages to draw from the rockets. A committee of observers American, French, Syrian, Lebanese and Israelis, was set up to discuss any infringement with the agreement.

See too

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