Israel begins week-long bombardment of Lebanon (Operation Accountability)

US Marine colonel William R. Higgins, serving as a UN observer, was abducted in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah denied responsibility for the kidnapping; the episode contributed to escalating tensions...

By 11 May, Hezbollah had seized much of the southern suburbs of Beirut after fighting Amal. Their rivalry reflected competition over local authority, divergent political programmes and different...

Lebanon requested renewal of the UN peacekeeping mandate. UN records describe armed resistance operations against IDF/SLA positions, Israeli and SLA retaliatory or unprovoked fire, and threats to...

Lebanese legislators approved the Taif national reconciliation accord. Its provisions sought political reforms and the disbandment of militias, but armed resistance to Israeli occupation remained a...

Syrian forces attacked the positions of Michel Aoun, effectively ending the major phase of Lebanon’s civil war. Subsequent disarmament policies treated Hezbollah differently from other militias...

The week of bombardment ended. UNIFIL reported approximately 200,000 people temporarily displaced from its area, widespread destruction and differing casualty totals from Lebanese and independently...

Israel began a large air and artillery operation in Lebanon after an escalation of cross-border attacks. Hezbollah launched rockets toward northern Israel; Israeli strikes and the rocket fire...

Israeli artillery struck a UNIFIL compound sheltering hundreds of displaced Lebanese civilians. A UN investigation estimated about 100 civilians killed, with many wounded. It also documented Hezbollah...

The Security Council called for an immediate cessation of hostilities by all parties and for protection of civilians and UNIFIL. The resolution formed part of international diplomatic pressure to stop...

A US-mediated understanding prohibited armed groups in Lebanon from attacking Israel and prohibited Israeli and allied forces from firing at civilians or civilian targets in Lebanon. It established...