2006 Qana airstrike

For the 1996 massacre, see Qana massacre.

2006 Qana airstrike
Part of the 2006 Lebanon War
Civil defense worker carrying a child's body
TypeAirstrike, massacre[1][2]
Location
Qana, South Governorate, Lebanon

33°12′52″N 35°17′55″E / 33.21444°N 35.29861°E / 33.21444; 35.29861
DateJuly 30, 2006 (2006-07-30)
1:00 a.m. EET (UTC+02:00)
Executed by Israeli Air Force
Casualties28 killed
~8 injured
Qana is located in Lebanon
Qana
Qana
Location of Qana within Lebanon

The 2006 Qana airstrike (also referred to as the 2006 Qana massacre[3][4] or the second Qana massacre[5][6]) was an airstrike carried out by the Israeli Air Force (IAF) on a three-story[7] 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.[8][9] 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.[10]

Initial media reports stated that more than 50 people, including 37 children, had been killed,[11][12] although later reports revised this to a lower figure of 28, including 16 children, with 13 people reported missing.[13][14] Residents dug through the rubble with their hands, searching for survivors as bodies were removed. Video broadcast by Arab TV showed the bloodied bodies of women and children who appeared to be wearing nightclothes.[11][15]

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF), although it admitted striking the building, initially denied that the explosion that caused the mass deaths were the result of their attack. This was contested by Qana's residents, who said the building collapsed due to the Israeli bombing.[16] According to the IDF, the bombing was an attempt to stop Katyusha rockets supposedly being fired by Hezbollah into northern Israel from the village over a two-week period[17] and said residents were warned to leave.[18] According to Human Rights Watch, international observers and journalists said there was no evidence the building served any military purpose.[19] Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora accused Israel of war crimes and asked, "Why, we wonder, did they choose Qana yet again?",[20] in reference to an artillery shelling carried out by Israeli forces that killed over 100 civilians at a UN compound 10 years before.[21] Kofi Annan urged the United Nations Security Council to condemn the attack.[20]

Map of South Lebanon showing location of Qana
  1. ^ Hirst, David (2010). Beware of Small States: Lebanon, Battleground of the Middle East. Nation Books. p. 362. ISBN 978-0-7867-4441-1. Archived from the original on July 30, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2021. Qana II: In the second massacre within a decade to befall the place where Christ is said to have performed his first miracle
  2. ^ Sriram, C.L.; King, J.C.; Mertus, J.A.; Martin-Ortega, O.; Herman, J. (2009). Surviving Field Research: Working in Violent and Difficult Situations. Taylor & Francis. p. 107. ISBN 978-1-134-01018-9. Archived from the original on July 30, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2021. The Qana massacre refers to the July 30, 2006 attack by Israel on a village in Lebanon that killed 28 people, more than half of whom were children
  3. ^ Assem El-Kersh. "Al-Ahram Weekly – Front Page – Here && Now: Turn not the other cheek". Archived from the original on May 8, 2013. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
  4. ^ Asser, Martin (July 31, 2006). "Qana makes grim history again". BBC News. Archived from the original on May 3, 2019. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
  5. ^ "Why do they hate the West so much, we will ask". The Independent. London. January 7, 2009. Archived from the original on May 1, 2022. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
  6. ^ Roee Nahmias (August 1, 2006). "Lebanese website blames Hizbullah for Qana deaths". Ynetnews. Archived from the original on December 14, 2009. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
  7. ^ "Qana 'stronger' on anniversary of Israeli attack Archived April 2, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, Daily Star, July 30, 2007
  8. ^ Reuters (July 9, 2007). "Factbox – War in Lebanon, one year ago" Archived August 5, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 30, 2007.
  9. ^ Waked, Ali (July 30, 2006). "Dozens killed in IDF strike". Ynetnews. Archived from the original on November 27, 2012. Retrieved February 22, 2012.
  10. ^ "Israel halts airstrikes for 48 hours". CNN. July 30, 2006. Archived from the original on August 3, 2018. Retrieved March 11, 2009.
  11. ^ a b "The children went to sleep believing they were safe. And then Israel targeted them as terrorists. Daily Telegraph, July 31, 2006"
  12. ^ "34 Youths Among 56 Dead in Israeli Attack Archived June 9, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. ABC News, July 30, 2006"
  13. ^ "Israel/Lebanon: Qana Death Toll at 28" Archived October 28, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, Human Rights Watch, August 2, 2006
  14. ^ Ghattas, Sam F. "Human Rights Watch, Lebanese Red Cross and civil defense report lower Qana death toll." The Associated Press. August 3, 2006. International News. August 31, 2006 LexisNexis Academic.
  15. ^ "Israel halts airstrikes for 48 hours". lCNN. July 30, 2006. Archived from the original on August 3, 2018. Retrieved August 6, 2006.
  16. ^ "Qana villagers refute IDF claims building fell hours after strike". Haaretz. July 30, 2006. Archived from the original on January 16, 2014. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
  17. ^ "IDF: 150 rockets fired from Qana at Israeli cities | Jerusalem Post". Archived from the original on February 3, 2012. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
  18. ^ "Israel halts airstrikes for 48 hours." Archived October 30, 2022, at the Wayback Machine CNN.com. July 30, 2006. January 2, 2014.
  19. ^ "Israel/Lebanon: Qana Death Toll at 28" Archived October 28, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, Human Rights Watch, August 2, 2006. September 1, 2006.
  20. ^ a b "Israeli strike kills dozens in Lebanon". International Herald Tribune. July 30, 2006.[permanent dead link]
  21. ^ "Israeli strike kills dozens in Lebanon". International Herald Tribune. July 30, 2006.[permanent dead link]