[NetBehaviour] Questions and Answers on Hostilities Between Israel and Hezbollah.

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Questions and Answers on Hostilities Between Israel and Hezbollah.

(Beirut, July 17, 2006) – On July 12, Hezbollah launched an attack on 
Israeli positions on the Israeli side of the Lebanese border, killing 
three Israeli soldiers and capturing two. In response, Israel launched 
air and artillery attacks against targets throughout Lebanon, including 
Beirut’s international airport, bridges and highways, and Hezbollah 
offices. It also instituted an air, sea, and land blockade. According to 
media reports at the time of writing, Israeli attacks have killed at 
least 110 civilians and wounded more than 235 in Lebanon. Hezbollah 
forces have launched more than 800 rockets across the border into 
northern Israel, as far south as Tiberias (35km/22 miles south of the 
border), killing 12 civilians and injuring more than 100.

Contribute to Human Rights Watch
The following questions and answers set out some of the legal rules 
governing the various actions taken by Israel and Hezbollah to date in 
this recent conflict. Human Rights Watch sets out these rules before it 
has been able to conduct extensive on-the-ground investigation. The 
purpose is to provide analytic guidance for those who are examining the 
fighting as well as for the parties to the conflict and those with the 
capacity to influence them.  
 
This Q & A addresses only the rules of international humanitarian law, 
known as jus in bello, which govern the way each party to the armed 
conflict must conduct itself in the course of the hostilities. It does 
not address whether Hezbollah was justified in attacking Israel, whether 
Israel was justified in attacking Lebanon for the conduct of Hezbollah, 
or other matters concerning the legitimacy of resorting to war. In 
accordance with its institutional mandate, Human Rights Watch maintains 
a position of strict neutrality on these issues of jus ad bellum because 
we find it the best way to promote our primary goal of encouraging both 
sides in the course of the conflict to respect international 
humanitarian law.

more...
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/07/17/lebano13748.htm