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Ali Al-Akhrass, a pharmacist who had brought his family back to Lebanon to spend the summer with relatives, died, along with his wife, Amira, and their four children as a result of the July 16 attack. Residents of Aytaroun say a total of 11 people were killed because of the air strike, all of them members of the same extended family. Just why the Al-Akhrass home was specifically targeted by the Israeli air force is about to become the subject of international scrutiny. The New York-based Human Rights Watch plans to highlight the incident in a forthcoming report about Israel's alleged targeting of innocent civilians during the 13-day-old conflict. "This case is of particular interest to us because this family came from Canada to Lebanon after 15 years away, just a few weeks before the bombing started," said Peter Bouckaert, director of emergencies for the rights group. "It's very clear that they had no Hezbollah links. It just shows how indiscriminate the attacks on villages are."
Just why the Al-Akhrass home was specifically targeted by the Israeli air force is about to become the subject of international scrutiny. The New York-based Human Rights Watch plans to highlight the incident in a forthcoming report about Israel's alleged targeting of innocent civilians during the 13-day-old conflict. "This case is of particular interest to us because this family came from Canada to Lebanon after 15 years away, just a few weeks before the bombing started," said Peter Bouckaert, director of emergencies for the rights group. "It's very clear that they had no Hezbollah links. It just shows how indiscriminate the attacks on villages are."
The decision to launch a broad military operation in Lebanon, in response to the abduction of soldiers near Zar'it on the morning of July 12, was made with lightning speed. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert decided almost immediately on a strong military response, and in the evening he presented for cabinet approval a plan for an air assault on Hezbollah's rocket launchers and symbols of the Lebanese government, topped by Beirut International Airport. Ministers were told that Haifa might be hit by retaliatory fire, and that the operation would not be brief. The government approved it unanimously.
