Now in the Eighth day of increased violence and disproportionate military bombardment of Lebanon by the Israeli government there is no indication that the excessive force with which Israel is using allegedly under the pretext of regaining its abducted soldiers is going to cease. 

Israel has clearly warned that intensive fighting shall continue and has called upon the United Nations Security Council to interject and take action over Lebanon’s alleged breach of UN resolution 1559 affirmed in 2004.

The resolution called for “the disbanding and disarmament of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias.  It also called upon all parties concerned to cooperate fully and urgently with the Council for the full implementation of all its resolutions concerning the restoration in Lebanon of territorial integrity, full sovereignty and political independence”.

However whilst Israel continues to highlight alleged breaches of UN resolutions by Lebanon, many feel that the air of duplicity continues to thicken as Israel itself has been shown to have breached many more UN resolutions specifically against Lebanon vehemently over the last few decades.

Amongst the repeated breaches are UN Resolutions 280, 313,316,332, 347,450, all of which are “condemning Israel for attacks on Lebanon”.  Many of which were unprovoked, during the illegal occupation of parts of Lebanon by Israel.

Whilst the violence continues on both sides, the Israeli tourism minister and member of the security cabinet Isaac Herzog, claims that the “Security council resolution 1559 contours of the way to move out of this conflict.”

The violence will stop once the deployment of Lebanese forces in southern Lebanon with full Lebanese sovereignty, the dismantling of the Hezbollah operations and the release of the abducted soldiers occurs.

Speaking in a special report, interviewed by main anchor Jon Snow on Channel 4 news yesterday, 18.07.06, Herzog denied claims that Israel has breached UN resolutions.

In rhetoric with the Tourism Minister, Snow confidently asserted

“The difficulty of conjuring UN resolutions is that Israel has been in breach of so many its hard to see why anybody else would start respecting them”

Herzog responded,
“I beg to differ with you with absolutely in fact if you look at the situation both in Gaza and Lebanon Israel has deployed its forces pulled out of Gaza and in Lebanon with the blessing of the international community. In fact the pulling out of Lebanon was carved out with UN itself”.

Herzog’s claims are highly contentious and a deeper analysis of the reluctant pulling out of Lebanon and Gaza by Israel is wrought with complications and continued neglected warnings by the UN. Evident in the repeated resolutions against the Israeli Government.

In contradiction to Herzog’s claims, growing media coverage has highlighted that not only have Israel used excessive force but also no acceptable attempt at diplomacy was made before the force ensued. Even as the casualties increase, Israel seems indifferent to hear any mention of ceasefire, and is unwilling to use diplomacy at present.

According to the conditions clearly stated by the UN Charter, Chapter 1 Article 2.4 “All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations”.

While the charter prohibits the use of force it maintains three exceptions to the rule; Self Defense, UN Security Council Authorisation and Humanitarian Intervention. Under the scrutiny of the rest of the world if self defense were a justified claim then the sheer excessiveness of the Israeli force more than what is required for self defense, illustrated by the disproportionate amount of Lebanese civilian casualties in comparison to the Israeli casualties would invalidate this claim.

According to the conditions of the article, Israel is in direct breach of International Law and the UN Charter. Yet whilst Israel tries to justify fulfilling at least one of these criteria, the rest of the world remains myopic about the unnecessary destruction and annihilation caused to the Lebanese Infrastructure that has nothing to do with Israel’s conflict with Hezbollah. 

The crisis is deepening and the death toll of innocent civilians continues to escalate, but there remains no authentic effort at rational dialogue regarding the exchange of prisoners even from the international community.

As the preoccupation with table talk and finger pointing both from the inside and from the international community regarding UN breaches continues, the international community are not looking to the causes of conflict but simply at who is responsible. Even the G8 leaders who have chosen to become passive spectators have not discussed the reason for the alleged capturing of Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah.

Whilst the blame game continues less time and energy is being devoted to real aid on the ground for those who need it the most.

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