July 17, 2006

Rocket attacks on Israel continue; approximately 700 rockets have landed inside Israel

Eight employees of Israel Railways were killed in a direct hit at the Haifa train depot Sunday morning. Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz said that the more advanced Fajar missiles fired at Haifa were made in Syria.

 

Above: Rescue workers at Haifa train depot after Hizbullah rocket attack (Reuters)

* Since last Wednesday, 12 July 2006, approximately 700 rockets have landed inside Israel.

Latest statements:

PM Olmert (July 16): "This is a difficult morning for us all. The severe attacks in Haifa join the lethal attacks in other areas of the country. This is the criminal war of Hizbullah against the nation and its residents. We have no intention of bending to these threats. They will fail. There is no time limit. Our cause is just. Every nation in the world would respond like us."

G-8 Summit 2006 (July 16): "The immediate crisis results from efforts by extremist forces to destabilize the region and to frustrate the aspirations of the Palestinian, Israeli and Lebanese people for democracy and peace."

FM Livni (July 16): "the path to a solution lies with the release of the abducted soldiers, the cessation of rocket fire on Israel and the full implementation of Resolution 1559."

US President Bush (July 16): "This recent flare-up helps clarify a root cause of instability in the Middle East - and that is Hizbullah and Hizbullah's relationship with Syria, Hizbullah's relationship to Iran, and Syria's relationship to Iran. Therefore, in order to solve this problem it's really important for the world to address the root cause."

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (July 13): A difference should be drawn between legitimate resistance and rash adventures carried out by elements inside Lebanon and those behind them without consultation with the legitimate authority in their state or coordination with Arab countries, thus creating a gravely dangerous situation exposing all Arab countries to destruction. The Kingdom views that it is time that these elements alone bear the full responsibility of these irresponsible acts and shoulder the burden of ending the crisis they have created.

See also:

* Statement by Group of Eight Leaders - G-8 Summit 2006 (July 16)

* Response of FM Livni (July 16): "Israel believes along with the international community that these extremist elements are responsible for the conflict."

* Israeli Cabinet Communique (July 16): "Israel is not fighting Lebanon but the terrorist element there, led by Nasrallah and his cohorts, who have made Lebanon a hostage and created Syrian- and Iranian-sponsored terrorist enclaves of murder. Israel will not return to the status quo that prevailed before last Wednesday; this situation was intolerable from the outset.”

* FM Livni: Government of Lebanon responsible for aggression

* Hizbullah profile

* Terror from Lebanon

* Three soldiers abducted by Hizbullah and killed (Oct 2000)

* Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon (May 2000)

* Syria as strategic support for Hamas (pdf version)