International reactions to the 2006 Qana airstrike , which saw the greatest loss of civilian life in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, twenty eight deaths with thirteen missing, largely involved the condemnation of Israel by many countries around the globe, bringing about a supposed 48 hours cessation of air operations by the Israeli Air Force. Bombings resumed only a few hours after the start of the cessation of air operations.
United Nations - United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan called an emergency Security Council meeting Sunday at the request of Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora where a French draft resolution, including an immediate cease-fire, was discussed. In the meeting, Annan said: "we must condemn this action in the strongest possible terms ... I am deeply dismayed that my earlier calls for immediate cessation of hostilities were not heeded, with the result that innocent life continues to be taken and innocent civilians continue to suffer." [1] 
Lebanon - The Lebanese government has asked Condoleezza Rice to cancel a visit to Lebanon insisting that they will only negotiate an immediate, unconditional cease-fire. Lebanese Defence Minister Elias Murr disputed allegations that Hezbollah was firing missiles from Qana and said "What do you expect Israel to say? Will it say that it killed 40 children and women?" [2] 
Israel - Israeli UN Ambassador Dan Gillerman said that it was a "horrible, tragic incident." Gillerman said the dead were "victims of Hezbollah," which he said was using civilian buildings as cover to launch rockets into Israel. [3] Israeli Government spokeswoman Miri Eisen said that Israel is "deeply sorry" for what had happened, and claimed that there would be an investigation in Israel to find out how the airstrike could have happened. [4] 
Arab League - League's Secretary-General said that "The attacks that Israeli forces are launching targeting civilians and the Lebanese infrastructure are another confirmation of Israeli aggressive intentions."
Algeria - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement where it condemned "this criminal act that nothing could justify", and asked for an immediate and unconditional cease-fire. [5] 
Egypt - President of Egypt Hosni Mubarak stated that "The Arab Republic of Egypt expresses its profound alarm and its condemnation of the irresponsible Israeli bombing of the Lebanese village of Qana, which resulted in innocent casualties, mostly women and children." [6] 
Iraq - Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's top Shia cleric, stated, "Islamic nations will not forgive the entities that hinder a cease-fire." He added, "It is not possible to stand helpless in front of this Israeli aggression on Lebanon. If an immediate cease-fire in this Israeli aggression is not imposed, dire consequences will befall the region." [7] 
Jordan - Jordanian King Abdullah II condemned "the ugly crime perpetrated by Israeli forces in Qana that is a gross violation of all international statutes." [8] 
Kuwait - Jassem AlKharafi, the parliament speaker of Kuwait, condemned the attacks and quoted that "the Israel 'savage and barbaric' aggression on Lebanon surpassed all moral and humanitarian limits and formed a disregard of international law and human rights and the world community". [9] Kuwait Prime Minister Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah also condemned the attacks. [10] 
Palestinian Authority - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stated that "what happened in Qana is an ugly massacre. It is a new Israeli crime that it be immediately stopped for the protection of civilian life." [11] 
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic - The Saharawi government considered that "the use of violence and the policy of the colonial fait accompli through the occupation of the territories, slaughter and terror against the helpless citizens are contradictory with morals, laws and customs of humanity, and against the international legality", according to a press release that also expressed "its solidarity with the Lebanese people in this tragedy because of the slaughter perpetrated by the Israeli forces against the village of Qana, and the support in its struggle for the defence of its independence and territorial sovereignty" and "its solidarity with the Palestinian people, who faces the aggressions perpetrated by the Israeli forces, urging for an urgent enablement of this people to exercise their right to self-determination and to have their independent state". [12] 
Syria - Syrian U.N. Ambassador Bashar Jaafari stated that "These bombs ... are American bombs. They call them laser-guided bombs but actually they are hatred-guided bombs, and unfortunately these bombs are made in the U.S.A." [13] Syrian President Bashar al-Assad also said:"The massacre committed by Israel in Qana this morning shows the barbarity of this aggressive entity. It constitutes state terrorism committed in front of the eyes and ears of the world." [11] 
Tunisia - The country expressed "its condemnation on this criminal act." [14] 
United Arab Emirates - called the event an "ugly massacre." [15] 
Organization of American States - The Secretary General of the OAS, José Miguel Insulza released a statement condemning "the death of innocent civilians, especially children, in Qana, Lebanon, as a result of Israeli bombing." The statement also called for immediate cessation of hostilities by all parties. [16] 
Brazil - In a letter dated 30 July 2006 to the Lebanese premier Fouad Siniora, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said he was "shocked, angered and dismayed at violent Israeli shelling this Sunday on Qana, in southern Lebanon, which has victimized the civilian population, including dozens of children, women and elderly". [17] 
Canada - Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay said, "These are very tragic circumstances. The people of Lebanon and Israel have been profoundly affected by the bombing... The tragedy is really for civilians. The infrastructure has been devastated in parts of Lebanon, particularly the south." Prime Minister Stephen Harper made it clear Canada supported Israel's military campaign against Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. Michael Ignatieff, then the leading candidate for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada, caused controversy by saying that while the deaths were tragic, he "wasn't losing sleep" over them ; he later caused additional controversy by referring to the airstrike as a "war crime" .
Chile Foreign Minister Alejandro Foxley released a statement saying "We desire an immediate cease fire and withdrawal of invading forces from Lebanon." [18] 
Mexico's Foreign Ministry "condemned the tactics used by Hezbollah such as launching rockets at civilians in Israel, as much as those by Israel against Lebanon described as a disproportionate use of force." [19] 
United States - United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced that she postponed her visit to Beirut, adding that:"We [the United States Government] want a ceasefire as soon as possible, I would have wanted a ceasefire yesterday if possible, but the parties have to agree to a ceasefire and there have to be certain conditions in place... Any ceasefire has to have circumstances that are going to be acceptable to the parties." [20] President George W. Bush said the United States "mourns the loss of innocent life" and that all parties with a stake in the Mideast conflict "must work together to achieve a sustainable peace." The Bush administration has refused to call for an immediate cease-fire, with officials saying they want a "sustainable" end to hostilities—one that includes efforts to prevent future Hezbollah attacks against Israel. [21] 
Venezuela Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel said, "This murder of dozens of women and children has no justification whatsoever." The UN and other powerful nations shared blame for the attack because they had responded to Israel's military campaign in Palestine and Lebanon with "silence and omissions."
Bangladesh - The foreign minister of Bangladesh called the attacks State Terrorism. [22] 
Iran - The Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that "The Qana bombing is the outcome of Rice's trip to the region. Some American officials should be put on trial for the crimes in Lebanon.". [6] 
India - The country's External Affairs Ministry issued the following statement: "India strongly condemns the continued irresponsible and indiscriminate bombing of Lebanon by the Israeli military, ignoring calls for restraint." [23] 
Japan - The government of Japan issued the following statement: "The Government of Japan strongly deplores the incident on July 30 in which many Lebanese civilians including children were killed by an Israel Air Force strike despite the repeated calls for Israel's self-restraint by the international society." It also called for an immediate cease-fire. [24] 
Pakistan - Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said "the Pakistani government and people strongly condemn this sad incident, which is clearly unwarranted aggression, and calls for an immediate ceasefire."
China - Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said that the PRC "strongly condemns [the air strike]," adding that "the Lebanese-Israeli conflict has already created a serious humanitarian disaster in Lebanon" and that "China strongly calls for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in order to prevent the creation of an even greater disaster." [25] 
Singapore - Singaporean officials have condemned the attacks, calling for the UN to swiftly get a ceasefire ready. [26] 
South Korea - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade released a statement expressing regret at the loss of life by the Israeli airstrikes. It also called on the government of Lebanon to make efforts to return kidnapped Israeli soldiers. [27] 
Vietnam - The Spokenman Of Ministry Of Foreign Affairs Le Dzung said: "Vietnam condemns Israel's air strike on Qana village in Southern Lebanon on July 30th 2006 that killed many civilians, the majority of whom were children and women. Vietnam calls upon the parties concerned to execute an immediate ceasefire and exercise utmost restraint to avoid causing more harm to civilians"
European Union - EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, said that he has "talked to the Prime Minister of Lebanon ... I have expressed to him my profound dismay and deep sorrow at the attack and the death of innocent civilians in Qana. Nothing can justify that."
France - French President Jacques Chirac said that "France condemns this unjustifiable action, which shows more than ever the need to move toward an immediate cease-fire."
United Kingdom - British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett stated: "It's absolutely dreadful, it's quite appalling. We have repeatedly urged Israel to act proportionately."
Germany - Foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier stated that "the highest priority must now be a cease-fire as quickly as possible," and expressed "horror" of the deaths. [28] 
Greece - Foreign Ministry spokesman Giorgos Koumoutsakos stated: "We are filled with repugnance and deep sadness. ... Now the need for an immediate cease-fire is more pressing than ever." [28] 
Ireland - The Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern condemned the attack saying he was shocked and appalled at the heavy loss of life and that an immediate ceasefire is urgently needed. He called the attack "despicable". [29] [30] 
Italy - Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi said: "I truly hope that a road to peace is found again." [28] 
Norway - The Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jonas Gahr Støre said "Norway condemns such actions against civilians and calls for an immediate ceasefire" and described the attack as "a clear-cut violation of international law". [31] 
Spain - The Spanish government's expressed "profound consternation and condemns the Israeli bombardment." [15] 
Sweden - The Swedish Prime Minister, Göran Persson said he reacted with "dismay and wrath". He commented that "even Israel must stand up for international rights, and use proportionate countermeasures in their situation." [32] 
Turkey - Ankara stated: "We are filled with deep sadness because of the death of innocent people." Foreign Ministry called Israel for an immediate cease-fire.
Vatican City - Pope Benedict XVI said that "In the name of God, I call on all those responsible for this spiral of violence so that weapons are immediately laid down on all sides." [33] 
The Qana massacre took place on April 18, 1996, near Qana, a village in Southern Lebanon, when the Israel Defense Forces fired artillery shells at a United Nations compound. The artillery barrage had been launched to cover an Israeli special forces unit after it had come under mortar fire launched from the vicinity of the compound and radioed a request for support. Of 800 Lebanese civilians who had taken refuge in the compound, 106 were killed and around 116 injured. Four Fijian United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon soldiers were also seriously injured.
Operation Grapes of Wrath, known in Lebanon as the April Aggression, was a seventeen-day campaign of the Israeli Defense Forces against Hezbollah in 1996 which attempted to end rocket attacks on Northern Israel by the organisation. Israel conducted more than 1,100 air raids and extensive shelling. A UNIFIL compound at Qana was hit when Israeli artillery fired on Hezbollah forces operating nearby. 639 Hezbollah cross-border rocket attacks targeted northern Israel, particularly the town of Kiryat Shemona. Hezbollah forces also participated in numerous engagements with Israeli and South Lebanon Army forces. The conflict was de-escalated on 27 April by a ceasefire agreement banning attacks on civilians.
Reactions to the 2006 Lebanon War came from states on all continents, supranational bodies, individuals and international NGOs, as well as political lobbyists in the United States.
This is a timeline of events related to the 2006 Lebanon War.
The Israeli–Lebanese conflict, or the South Lebanon conflict, is a series of military clashes involving Israel, Lebanon and Syria, the Palestine Liberation Organization, as well as various militias and militants acting from within Lebanon. The conflict peaked in the 1980s, during the Lebanese Civil War, and has abated since.
During the 2006 July War, a number of international incidents occurred in Lebanon, largely involving United Nations personnel who have come under a number of attacks by Israeli forces.
The ceasefire attempts during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict started immediately, with Lebanon calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire already the day after the start of the hostilities. Israel, however, strongly backed by the United States and the United Kingdom, insisted that there could be no ceasefire until Hezbollah's militia had been disarmed or removed from southern Lebanon. The United Nations Security Council held meetings throughout the conflict but failed to agree on a ceasefire resolution.
The 2006 Qana airstrike was an airstrike carried out by the Israeli Air Force (IAF) on a three-story building in the small community of al-Khuraybah near the South Lebanese village of Qana on July 30, 2006, during the 2006 Lebanon War. The strike killed 28 civilians, 16 of whom were children. Israel halted airstrikes for 48 hours following the attack, amid increasing calls for a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrillas.
There have been many casualties in the 2006 Lebanon War, leading to condemnation of both sides, however the exact distribution of casualties has been disputed. The Lebanese Higher Relief Council (HRC), UNICEF, and various press agencies and news organizations have stated that most of those killed were Lebanese civilians, however the Lebanese government does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in death toll figures. The Israeli government identified 43 Israeli civilians killed by Hezbollah rocket attacks, including four who died of heart attacks during rocket attacks. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) death toll ranges from 118 to 121, depending on the source and whether or not casualties that occurred after the ceasefire are included. The figures for the Hezbollah fighters killed are the most varying, with Hezbollah claiming 250 of its fighters killed, while Israel claimed to have identified 530 dead Hezbollah fighters. The IDF estimates 600–700 dead Hezbollah fighters. Sources can be conflicting.
The 2006 Lebanon War, also called the 2006 Israel–Hezbollah War and known in Lebanon as the July War and in Israel as the Second Lebanon War, was a 34-day military conflict in Lebanon, northern Israel and the Golan Heights. The principal parties were Hezbollah paramilitary forces and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The conflict started on 12 July 2006, and continued until a United Nations-brokered ceasefire went into effect in the morning on 14 August 2006, though it formally ended on 8 September 2006 when Israel lifted its naval blockade of Lebanon. Due to unprecedented Iranian military support to Hezbollah before and during the war, some consider it the first round of the Iran–Israel proxy conflict, rather than a continuation of the Arab–Israeli conflict.
Salam Daher is a Lebanese civil defense worker who was involved in the aftermath of the Israeli airstrike on Qana on July 30, 2006, where widely published photographs showed him removing dead children from the rubble of a house struck by an Israeli attack.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 is a resolution that was intended to resolve the 2006 Lebanon War. The resolution calls for a full cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon to be replaced by Lebanese and UNIFIL forces deploying to southern Lebanon, and the disarmament of armed groups including Hezbollah. It emphasizes Lebanon's need to fully exert government control and calls for efforts to address the unconditional release of abducted Israeli soldiers.
Hezbollah has a military branch and is the sponsor of a number of lesser-known groups, some of which may be little more than fronts for Hezbollah itself. These groups include the Organization of the Oppressed, the Revolutionary Justice Organization, the Organization of Right Against Wrong, and Followers of the Prophet Muhammad.
During the 2006 Lebanon War, allegations of war crimes were made by various groups and individuals, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and United Nations officials, who accused both Hezbollah and Israel of violating international humanitarian law. These have included allegations of intentional attacks on civilian populations or infrastructure, disproportionate or indiscriminate attacks, the use of human shields, and the use of prohibited weapons.
The al-Fakhura school incident was an Israeli military strike that took place during the Gaza War on 6 January 2009 near a United Nations-run school in the Jabalia Camp in the Gaza Strip. According to the UN and several non-governmental organizations (NGOs), more than 40 people were killed. Israel reported the death toll as nine Hamas militants and three noncombatants with senior IDF officers stating that the death toll published by Hamas was "grossly exaggerated". Israel stated it fired on the school in response to militant gunfire believed to be coming from al-Fakhura. A UN inquiry said that there was no firing from within the school and there were no explosives within the school, but could not establish if militants fired from the vicinity of the school.
Reactions to the 2014 Gaza War came from around the world.
Israel's official position on the Syrian Civil War has been strict neutrality. However, Israel has become involved politically and militarily to prevent the growing influence and entrenchment of Iranian forces and its proxies throughout Syria. Israel's military activity, officially called Operation Chess, has primarily been limited to missile and air strikes targeting Iranian facilities in Syria as well as those of its proxies, especially Hezbollah. These attacks were not officially acknowledged before 2017. Israel has also carried out air strikes in Syria to disrupt weapons shipments to Hezbollah. By August 2022, the UK investigative non-profit Airwars estimated that 17-45 civilians were killed and another 42-101 civilians were wounded by Israeli airstrikes in Syria since 2013. Syrian reports place these figures much lower than other foreign actors in the conflict. Israel has also provided humanitarian aid to victims of the civil war from 2013 to September 2018, an effort that was ramped up after June 2016 with the launch of Operation Good Neighbour.
Reactions to the 2006 Lebanon War coming from the European countries.
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The Nabatieh Fawka attack occurred on 16 April 1996, when Israeli warplanes bombed an apartment in the village of Nabatieh Fawka, killing nine people, seven of whom were children.