(Communicated by the IDF Spokesman)
This morning, July 30, 2006, the IAF attacked
missile launch sites in the area of the village of Qana, an area from
which hundreds of missiles were launched towards the city of Nahariya
and the communities in the western Galilee.
The IDF will defend the citizens of Israel from
attacks by the Hizbullah and the responsibility for any civilian
casualties rests with the Hizbullah who have turned the suburbs of
Lebanon into a war front by firing missiles from within civilian areas.
Residents in this region and specifically the
residents of Qana were warned several days in advance to leave the
village. Eighteen Israeli civilians have been killed and over 400 have
been wounded by these rocket attacks which have disrupted the lives of
tens of thousands of Israeli citizens.
The IDF regrets any harm to uninvolved civilians,
but this is the result of Hizbullah terrorist organization's
contemptible use of Lebanese civilians as human shields.
IDF press conference following the Kafr Qana incident (July 30)
* * *
IDF warns Lebanese civilians to evacuate villages (July 25):
"To all citizens south of the Litani River
Due to the terror activities being carried
out against the State of Israel from within your villages and homes,
the IDF is forced to respond immediately against these activities, even
within your villages. For your safety! We call upon you to evacuate
your villages and move north of the Litani River."
The State of Israel
"He who says he is protecting you,
is really robbing you."
Background of events
Qana has long been a hot-bed for Hizbullah
activities against Israel. Since the beginning of the present conflict,
the village has served as a shelter for escaping terrorists and a
center of rocket attacks against Israel. Over 130 rockets have been
launched from the vicinity of the village towards northern Israel. More
than 50 rockets were launched from within the village itself.
Launchers are routinely situated in close
proximity to residential buildings while carrying out their attacks
against Israel. A regional HQ of Hizbullah was also located in the
village, from which many terrorist activities were planned and carried
out. Furthermore, weapons depots and logistics sites were located in
the village itself, used as supply sources for Hizbullah.
In order to spare unnecessary injury of innocent
civilians in the village, the IDF has taken a number of precautions
aimed at protecting these civilians, including the aerial dispersal of
fliers calling for their temporary relocation outside of the area.
Thus, the civilian population in the village was warned and was
requested to temporarily vacate the village.
The IDF does not target civilians. The IDF is
carrying out a determined campaign to thwart Hizbullah terrorist
attacks against Israel, in any and all forms, as well as destroy
Hizbullah infrastructure that would otherwise allow it to continue
these terrorist attacks the day after a cease-fire is reached.
The events
The presence of civilians was not known to the
IDF in light of the repeated warnings given to the village residents.
The IDF would not have attacked this target, despite its value as a
terrorist asset, had it known that the residents remained in the
building. This, of course, is in direct contradiction to Hizbullah
policy which purposely places its ammunition depots in residential
buildings and hides its launchers in these same structures, using the
civilian residents as unwilling human shields.
The death of civilians in Qana is a tragedy
regardless of the specific circumstances of their death. The State of
Israel and the IDF have expressed their deep and genuine sorrow over
the loss of life of innocent civilians amidst the ongoing confrontation
with the Hizbullah.
The IDF is still conducting an inquiry into
the events in order to understand what exactly happened. Within this
context, for instance, is the issue of the 7 hour gap between the
bombing of the building and the time when the evacuation of the injured
began.
While nothing can reasonably justify the death of
civilians, it is nevertheless imperative to be reminded of the larger
context in which this tragic event took place - the context of war. The
IDF did not choose to begin this conflict. Hizbullah launched an
unprovoked cross-border attack into Israeli territory, killing three
IDF soldiers and taking two others hostage, followed by a constant
barrage of rocket fire (close to 2,000) aimed intentionally against
Israeli civilian population centers, in contradiction to every basic
principle of civilized behavior.
As a result of this tragic event, the IDF has
temporarily enacted self-imposed restrictions with regard to the
targeting of structures in Lebanon. These operational limitations
should not, however, be misinterpreted as a cease-fire. The IDF is
still determined to achieve the military goals that are essential for
bringing about the security to the residents of Israel’s northern
border.