A plane sits on the tarmac while flames rise from fuel tanks at Beirut International Airport after an Israeli airstrike in July 2006. AFP
A plane sits on the tarmac while flames rise from fuel tanks at Beirut International Airport after an Israeli airstrike in July 2006. AFP

2006 - Hezbollah-Israel war

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Updated 19 April 2025
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2006 - Hezbollah-Israel war

2006 - Hezbollah-Israel war
  • The 34-day conflict bolstered Hezbollah’s influence, shaping the trajectory of Lebanon’s political landscape ever since

DUBAI: Israel’s war against Lebanon in 2006 was not its first, but it was the fiercest and most devastating to the Lebanese people and state to that point, resulting in severe damage to civilian infrastructure and shattering many vital sectors.

On July 12, 2006, in an attempt to put pressure on Israel to release Lebanese and Palestinian prisoners, Hezbollah ambushed an Israeli army convoy patrolling the border, killing eight soldiers and capturing two, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. Another unit fired rockets at Israeli military positions and border villages.

The next day, Israel responded with large-scale attacks on Lebanon by air, sea and land, fulfilling a pledge by Israeli army Chief of Staff Dan Halutz that “if the soldiers are not returned, we will turn Lebanon’s clock back 20 years.”

The conflict continued for 34 days, during which nearly 1,200 Lebanese were killed, more than 4,000 injured and about a million displaced, according to government figures. It destroyed nearly 30,000 homes and a large number of the country’s power stations, water and sewage networks, electrical facilities and telecommunications infrastructure. Key civilian infrastructure, including Beirut International Airport, bridges, roads, and public and private buildings were bombed.

The war, which cost Lebanon more than $15 billion in economic losses, exacerbated unemployment and poverty levels, further escalating a socioeconomic crisis in the country.

How we wrote it




Arab News reported Hezbollah’s capture of two Israeli soldiers and the killing of eight, triggering Tel Aviv’s “painful response.”

Another significant consequence of the conflict was the environmental devastation it caused. Israeli airstrikes targeted the Jiyeh power plant, south of Beirut, which caused more than 15,000 tonnes of oil to spill into the Mediterranean Sea, triggering an ecological catastrophe that severely affected marine life and other aspects of the coastal environment.

In the view of critics and analysts, the surprise attack by Iran-backed Hezbollah did not justify the disproportionate scale of the 2006 war, which ended on Aug. 14, three days after the UN adopted Security Council Resolution 1701. Later that month, the head of Hezbollah at the time, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, admitted he would not have ordered the capture of Israeli soldiers had he known it would trigger a war on this scale.

“We did not think, even 1 percent, that the capture would lead to a war at this time and of this magnitude,” Nasrallah said during an interview with Lebanon’s New TV.

“You ask me, if I had known on July 11 … that the operation would lead to such a war, would I do it? I say no, absolutely not.”

Resolution 1701 called for an immediate ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, and for Hezbollah to move to areas north of the Litani River, leaving the south of the country exclusively under the control of the Lebanese military and 15,000 UN peacekeepers, who would help maintain calm and ensure displaced residents could return home.

Key Dates

  • 1

    Hezbollah ambushes Israeli soldiers near the border village of Zar’it, killing 8 and capturing 2.

    Timeline Image July 12, 2006

  • 2

    Israel attacks Lebanon, bombing bridges, major roads and Beirut’s airport.

    Timeline Image July 13, 2006

  • 3

    Hezbollah fires rockets deep into Israel, killing 8 people, forcing the evacuation of towns.

    Timeline Image July 17, 2006

  • 4

    UN drafts a ceasefire resolution with the aim of ending the war.

  • 5

    UN Security Council adopts Resolution 1701, which calls for an immediate ceasefire between the warring parties.

    Timeline Image Aug. 11, 2006

  • 6

    The ceasefire officially takes effect at 8:00 a.m. in Lebanon.

    Timeline Image Aug. 14, 2006

  • 7

    Israel and Hezbollah agree prisoner-exchange deal in which Israeli authorities release Samir Kuntar and several other Lebanese detainees in exchange for the remains of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, the Israeli soldiers captured in 2006.

Israeli authorities ended their 2006 war in Lebanon but the consequences at home continued. The government faced public outrage and harsh criticism, from politicians and the press, over its handling of the conflict. It responded by appointing a commission of inquiry to assess the military operations. In 2008, the Winograd Commission published a damning report that accused Israeli authorities of “grave failings” at the political and military levels.

A ground invasion, launched in the final days of the war, failed to achieve its objectives: it did not succeed in disarming Hezbollah, nor did it secure the release of the soldiers held by Hezbollah. It later emerged that Goldwasser and Regev were dead. Their remains were eventually returned in 2008, in exchange for five Lebanese prisoners and the bodies of about 200 Arabs.

In addition, Israel’s defense systems, including its Iron Dome air-defense shield, had proven incapable of protecting the north of the country. Hezbollah demonstrated the reach of its missile arsenal, striking at targets deep into Israeli territory, including Nahariya, Haifa and central regions, further exposing the weak defense strategy.

The losses Israel sustained during the war fueled and intensified the criticism: 127 soldiers and 43 civilians were killed by Hezbollah attacks on northern Israel, and hundreds were wounded. Almost 300,000 people, mostly in northern Israel, were forced to flee their homes, sparking widespread panic.




Man screams for help as he carries the body of a dead girl after Israeli air strikes on the southern Lebanese village of Qana 30 July 2006. AFP

Meanwhile, Hezbollah’s power had grown, both in terms of its arsenal of weapons and as a political force in Lebanon.

In their study titled “The 2006 Lebanon Campaign and the Future of Warfare: Implications for Army and Defense Policy,” authors Stephen Biddle and Jeffrey Friedman concluded that Hezbollah, a non-state actor, had waged a state-like conventional war by employing a hybrid strategy that blended conventional military tactics with guerrilla warfare.

“Hezbollah did some things well, such as its use of cover and concealment, its preparation of fighting positions, its fire discipline and mortar marksmanship, and its coordination of direct fire support,” they said in the 2008 study.

However, they noted that the militant group “fell far short of contemporary Western standards in controlling large-scale maneuver, integrating movement and indirect fire support, combining multiple combat arms, reacting flexibly to changing conditions, and small-arms marksmanship.”

Overall, the 2006 conflict weakened neither the weaponry nor the resolve of Hezbollah.

In summing up the shortcomings of the Israeli campaign, the Winograd Commission stated: “When the strongest military in the Middle East embarked to fight the Hezbollah and does not clearly defeat it, this had far-reaching adverse consequences for Israel’s status.”




Israeli soldiers clean a mobile artillery cannon after firing at Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon. AFP

As Hezbollah’s influence grew in the aftermath of the 2006 war, with the support of Iran and Syria, Lebanon was left to grapple with a deeply divided political system and sectarian strife, compounded by a collapsing economy and wider regional, geopolitical hostilities.

While the UN Resolution 1701 brought relative calm, its terms were never fully enforced, in particular a call for Hezbollah to disarm and withdraw to north of the Litani River. These demands were renewed, nearly two decades later, as part of a US-brokered ceasefire agreement that ended the war between Israel and Hezbollah last year, with the aim of preventing future hostilities.

The group’s recent pummeling by Israel, the assassination of Nasrallah, and the toppling of its Syrian-regime ally, Bashar Assad, have shifted the power dynamics, leading to Hezbollah’s declining influence.

The election of Joseph Aoun, a neutral army commander, as president on Jan. 9, after two years of a power vacuum in the office, and the formation of a new government have reignited hopes for a united Lebanon and a resolution to the long-standing conflict with Israel.

  • Sherouk Zakaria is a UAE-based journalist at Arab News, with more than a decade of experience in media and strategic communication.


Nottingham Forest boss Nuno signs new three-year contract

Nottingham Forest boss Nuno signs new three-year contract
Updated 1 min 8 sec ago
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Nottingham Forest boss Nuno signs new three-year contract

Nottingham Forest boss Nuno signs new three-year contract
  • The 51-year-old led Forest to a seventh-place finish in the Premier League last season
  • A late slump in form saw them settle for a place in the Europa Conference League

LONDON: Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo was rewarded for guiding his side into Europe by signing a new three-year contract on Saturday.

The 51-year-old led Forest to a seventh-place finish in the Premier League last season, securing European qualification for the first time since the 1995/96 season.

After battling relegation for much of their first two campaigns back in the Premier League after a 23-year absence, Forest were on course to qualify for the Champions League last season.

A late slump in form saw them settle for a place in the Europa Conference League instead and included a flashpoint when owner Evangelos Marinakis confronted Nuno on the pitch after a 2-2 draw against relegated Leicester.

Former Manchester United captain and leading pundit Gary Neville said the Portuguese coach should have resigned in protest at that incident.

However, the former Wolves and Tottenham boss has committed his future to the City Ground and thanked Marinakis for his support since he was appointed in December 2023.

“I am delighted to be able to continue our journey at this fantastic football club,” Nuno said in a club statement.

“Since we arrived at Forest, we have worked extremely hard to create a special bond between the players, the fans and everyone at the club, which helped us achieve great things last season.

“I would like to thank our owner, Mr.Marinakis, for his constant support and backing. It is important to me to share a strong relationship with our ownership and we have thoroughly enjoyed working together ever since I arrived at Forest.”

Marinakis paid tribute to the impact made by Nuno and reiterated his desire for the two-time European champions to be contenders for major trophies once more.

“We enjoy a strong and solid relationship together,” said the Greek shipping magnate.

“Above all, we share the same dream and ambition of writing a new history for Nottingham Forest, competing in the Premier League and in Europe and winning trophies for our great club.”


Iran president says will not halt nuclear activity ‘under any circumstances’

Iran president says will not halt nuclear activity ‘under any circumstances’
Updated 25 min 53 sec ago
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Iran president says will not halt nuclear activity ‘under any circumstances’

Iran president says will not halt nuclear activity ‘under any circumstances’
  • “We are ready to discuss and cooperate to build confidence in the field of peaceful nuclear activities,” said Pezeshkian

TEHRAN: Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said Saturday his country will not halt nuclear activity “under any circumstances” amid ongoing fighting with Israel which hit nuclear sites.

“We are ready to discuss and cooperate to build confidence in the field of peaceful nuclear activities, however, we do not agree to reduce nuclear activities to zero under any circumstances,” said Pezeshkian during a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, according to the official IRNA news agency.


Saudi FM reaffirms support for Palestine, condemns Israeli strikes on Iran at OIC meeting in Istanbul

Saudi FM reaffirms support for Palestine, condemns Israeli strikes on Iran at OIC meeting in Istanbul
Updated 35 min 55 sec ago
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Saudi FM reaffirms support for Palestine, condemns Israeli strikes on Iran at OIC meeting in Istanbul

Saudi FM reaffirms support for Palestine, condemns Israeli strikes on Iran at OIC meeting in Istanbul
  • Was speaking during opening session of 51st meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan reaffirmed the Kingdom’s unwavering support for the Palestinian cause during the opening session of the 51st meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, held in Istanbul on Saturday.

The foreign minister also condemned the Israeli strikes on Iran, describing them as a “blatant” violation of international law and an infringement on Iranian sovereignty and security.

The meeting, hosted by Turkiye, marked the start of its presidency of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers. Prince Faisal congratulated Turkiye on assuming the role and extended thanks to Cameroon for its efforts during its previous term.

In his address, Prince Faisal underscored the importance Saudi Arabia placed on the Palestinian issue, highlighting the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to end the war in Gaza, alleviate the worsening humanitarian crisis, and unify Arab and Islamic positions on the conflict.

He reiterated Saudi Arabia’s firm support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Turning to the Israeli-Iranian conflict, he said: “These attacks threaten the security and stability of the region,” and called for an immediate halt to military operations, de-escalation, and a return to negotiations between Iran and the international community.

Prince Faisal also reiterated Saudi Arabia’s continued backing of efforts to resolve the crisis in Yemen, expressing support for a comprehensive political solution and the restoration of peace, stability, and security in the country.


Belarus opposition leader freed from jail after US mediation

Belarus opposition leader freed from jail after US mediation
Updated 44 min 8 sec ago
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Belarus opposition leader freed from jail after US mediation

Belarus opposition leader freed from jail after US mediation
  • His wife Svetlana Tikhanovskaya said the US helped broker the deal and thanked US President Donald Trump
  • Tikhanovsky, 46, had been imprisoned for more than five years

WARSAW: Belarus’s top jailed opposition leader Sergei Tikhanovsky was freed alongside over a dozen other political prisoners on Saturday in a surprise release hailed as a “symbol of hope.”

His wife Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who took the mantle of the opposition after his jailing, said the United States helped broker the deal and thanked US President Donald Trump.

Tikhanovsky, 46, had been imprisoned for more than five years.

He planned to run against incumbent Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko in the August 2020 presidential election, but was arrested and detained weeks before the vote.

Svetlana — a political novice at the time of his arrest — took his place in the polls.

She posted a video on Saturday of her embracing Tikhanovsky after his release with the caption: “FREE.”

“It’s hard to describe the joy in my heart,” she said in a post on X.

Thirteen others were released, including Radio Liberty journalist Igor Karnei, who was arrested in 2023 and jailed for participating in an “extremist” organization.

They have now been transferred from Belarus to Lithuania, where they are receiving “proper care,” Lithuanian foreign minister Kestutis Budrys said.

The announcement came just hours after Lukashenko met US special envoy Keith Kellogg in Minsk, the highest profile visit of a US official to the authoritarian state in years.

Belarus, ruled by Lukashenko since 1994, has outlawed all genuine opposition parties and is the only European country to retain the death penalty as a punishment.

The eastern European country still holds over 1,000 political prisoners in its jails, according to Viasna.

Swedish-Belarusian citizen Galina Krasnyanskaya, arrested in 2023 for allegedly supporting Ukraine, was also freed, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said.

The release comes amid a broader warming of relations between the United States and Belarus’s chief ally Russia under Trump.

Since taking office, the Republican has engaged in direct talks with Vladimir Putin, ending his predecessor’s policy of isolating the Russian president.

Tikhanovsky was for years held incommunicado, and in 2023 his wife was told that he had “died.”

In a video published by Viasna on Saturday, he appeared almost unrecognizable, his head shaven and face emaciated.

Tikhanovsky was sentenced in 2021 to 18 years in prison for “organizing riots” and “inciting hatred” and then to 18 months extra for “insubordination.”

A charismatic activist, Tikhanovsky drew the ire of authorities for describing Lukashenko as a “cockroach” and his campaign slogan was “Stop the cockroach.”

Lukashenko claimed a landslide victory in the 2020 election, a result that sparked massive opposition protests which authorities violently suppressed.

The Belarusian autocrat claimed a record seventh term in elections earlier this year that observers blasted as a farce.

Fellow Belarusian political activists and foreign politicians welcomed the release.

Poland’s foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski said the “free world” needed Tikhanovsky.

“My sincerest joy goes out to you, Tikhanovskaya and your entire family,” he wrote on X.

Former Belarusian culture minister Pavel Latushko, who supported the 2020 protests against Lukashenko, said all those released had been jailed illegally and hailed Tikhanovsky’s release as an “important moment.”

European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen hailed Tikhanovsky’s release and called for Belarus to free its other political prisoners.

“This is fantastic news and a powerful symbol of hope for all the political prisoners suffering under the brutal Lukashenka regime,” she said on X.

Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Tikhanovsky’s release was “fantastically good news.”

“At the same time, we must not forget the many other prisoners in Belarus. Lukashenko must finally release them,” he said on X.


Saudi foreign minister holds talks with Egyptian and Pakistani counterparts on OIC sidelines

Saudi foreign minister holds talks with Egyptian and Pakistani counterparts on OIC sidelines
Updated 2 min 46 sec ago
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Saudi foreign minister holds talks with Egyptian and Pakistani counterparts on OIC sidelines

Saudi foreign minister holds talks with Egyptian and Pakistani counterparts on OIC sidelines

ISTANBUL: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held separate meetings on Saturday with his Egyptian and Pakistani counterparts on Saturday.

The discussions were held on the sidelines of the 51st session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Council of Foreign Ministers in Istanbul.

During talks with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, the two sides reviewed the close relations between the Kingdom and Egypt and discussed regional developments and their impact on the security of the region, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Prince Faisal also met with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. The discussions focused on bilateral ties, as well as regional and international developments and ongoing efforts to address them, SPA added.

Both meetings were attended by Prince Musab bin Mohammed Al-Farhan, advisor to the Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, and Fahd bin Asaad Abu Al-Nasr, Saudi ambassador to Turkiye.