Operation Changing Direction 11

2006 Litani offensive
Part of 2006 Lebanon War
Israeli soldiers enter Southern Lebanon.
Date August 11–14, 2006 Location Southern Lebanon Result Israel seized parts of Southern Lebanon and withdrew gradually according to UNSC resolution 1701
Belligerents
Israel	Hezbollah
Strength
30,000[1]	5,000–10,000
Casualties and losses
24 killed[2][3] 150 wounded	50 killed (Israeli claim) 1 captured

The Operation Changing Direction 11^[4] was the final push by the Israel Defense Forces during the 2006 Lebanon War that began on August 11, 2006, and ended 3 days later when the ceasefire came into effect. It involved a major force entering Lebanon that Salients of reached as far as the Litani river, and aimed to clear the area of Southern Lebanon of Hezbollah militants as best as possible before the ceasefire began.

Timeline

The opeation began on August 11 with 30,000 Israeli troops.

20 IDF soldiers were killed and more than 100 injured in heavy clashes on the ground on August 12 with Hezbollah forces in south Lebanon, after Israel dramatically expanded its ground operation in the area. Hezbollah said that they destroyed 21 Israeli tanks, but Israel confirmed that only two tanks were totally destroyed by anti-tank missiles. Also an Israeli transport helicopter was shot down in the Maryamein valley near the village of Yater, and other helicopters scrambled to the area to try to rescue the crew, but all five soldiers onboard were killed.

This was the fourth helicopter to crash since Operation Change of Direction was launched on July 12. Two helicopters collided and crashed and a third crashed separately in northern Israel early on in the fighting.

Meanwhile, on August 11–12, Israeli troops engaged Hezbollah fighters on a hill in the Battle of Wadi Saluki.

Military officials claimed that at least 50 Hezbollah fighters had been killed in the clashes but Hezbollah officials denied that number. One Hezbollah fighter was captured after he was wounded in the fighting and he was later sent to a hospital in Israel.

With the expansion of the ground offensive in Lebanon, four divisions were operating in south Lebanon and most of the activity was focused in areas from where Hezbollah has been firing short-range rockets into Israel. Sources in the IDF General Staff said four to seven days would be needed to complete the occupation of the area.

Fighting continued the next day with another 9 Israeli soldiers killed^[3] and 45 wounded. Hezbollah continued firing rockets into northern Israel. Israel reported that 250 rockets hit its territory, including the port city of Haifa. One person was killed in the rocket attacks.

On the morning of August 14, a United Nations-brokered ceasefire ended the Israeli offensive.

See also

• Battle of Wadi Saluki

References

1. ^ "Some 30,000 Israeli troops in Lebanon — army radio". Reuters via Yahoo! News Asia. 2006-08-13. http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060813/3/2of6v.html. 
2. ^ Jerusalem Post.
3. ^ ^{a b} Jerusalem Post.
4. ^ Security and Defense: The story of 'Changing Direction 11' | Jerusalem Post

External links

• Security and Defense: The story of 'Changing Direction 11' (Jerusalem Post)