f Ahmed Jibril <, leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command <, in 2002. Former Lebanese Prime Minister Walid Jumblatt <, an outspoken critic of Hezbollah, suspected that the exposure of the spy ring was a Hezbollah fabrication. <В
3. 2006 Lebanon War
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On 12 July < 2006 <, in an incident known as Zar'it-Shtula incident <, the Hezbollah initiated diversionary rocket attacks on Israeli military positions near the coast and near the Israeli border village of Zar'it <, while another Hezbollah group crossed from Lebanon into Israel and ambushed two Israeli Army vehicles, killing three Israeli soldiers and seizing two. p> Hezbollah promptly demanded the release of Lebanese prisoners held by Israel, including Samir Kuntar < and an alleged surviving perpetrator < of the Coastal Road massacre <, in exchange for the release of the captured soldiers. p> Heavy fire between the sides was exchanged across the length of the Blue Line <, with Hezbollah targeting IDF positions near Israeli towns. p> Thus began the 2006 Lebanon War <. Israel responded with massive airstrikes and artillery fire on targets throughout Lebanon, an air and naval blockade, and a ground invasion of southern Lebanon. In Lebanon the conflict killed over 1,500 people, mostly civilians, severely damaged infrastructure, displaced about one million people. Israel suffered nearly 4,000 rockets being launched into northern Israel causing the death of 42 civilians and the displacement half a million Israelis. [67] < Normal life across much of Lebanon and northern Israel was disrupted. These are besides the deaths in combat.
A United Nations <-brokered ceasefire went into effect on 14 August < 2006 <. The blockade was lifted on 8 September
4. Post-2006 war activity
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Since the 2006 Lebanon War <, there have been only isolated incidents.
On 7 February < 2007 <, there was an exchange of gunfire near Avivim < between the Lebanese Armed Forces < and the Israel Defence Forces <, culminating in the firing of two IDF tank shells over the border. There were no injuries on either side. The UN Secretary-General stated it was first armed incident since the end of the last war and that the first fire was by the Lebanese army without any provocation since the IDF was operating inside Israeli territory. p> On June 17 <, 2007 <, an unknown militant group fired two rockets from Lebanon < into northern Israel, an action which the UN condemned as a serious violation of the ceasefire. Hezbollah < denied involvement in the incident, and Israel < emphasized that it would restrain itself from responding by force. Saniora < pledged that "The state will spare no effort in uncovering those who stand behind this incident. "
