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Home > The Hezbollah-Israel War: One Year Anniversary Press Kit > The Hezbollah-Israel Conflict: By the Numbers

The conflict between Hezbollah and Israel began on July 12 when Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Shiite terrorist organization, crossed the Israeli-Lebanese border into Israel in an ambush, killing three Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers and kidnapping two others. [1] In turn, Israel responded with an operation in Lebanon that aimed to disarm Hezbollah and rescue the abducted IDF soldiers. Hezbollah's daily barrage of rocket attacks took a heavy toll on Israel's civilian population, economy and environment.

During the conflict:

  • 159 Israeli citizens were killed; of those
    • 43 civilians of Jewish, Arab, Christian and Muslim origin killed in rocket attacks
    • 119 IDF soldiers killed in rocket attacks as well as in armed combat [2]
  • 4,262 civilians were treated for injuries in hospitals; of those, 33 were seriously wounded, 68 were moderately wounded, and 1,388 were lightly wounded. Another 2,773 suffered from shock and anxiety. [3]
  • More than 2 million people - a third of Israel's population - were within Hezbollah rocket range [4]
  • 300,000 - 500,000 Israelis were displaced from their homes [5]
  • More than 1 million residents were forced to live in bomb shelters [6]
  • 6,000 homes were hit by rockets [7]
  • 7,600 property damage claims were filed [8]

A Snapshot of Hezbollah's Rocket Cache and Attacks:

  • 13,000 rockets were in Hezbollah's arsenal at the start of the war [9]
  • 3,970: The number of rockets Hezbollah fired into Israeli cities and towns; 901 landed in urban areas [10]
  • Of the missiles Hezbollah has fired at Israel:
    • More than 1,000 hit the Kiryat Shmona area
    • 808 hit near or in Nahariya
    • 471 hit near or in Tzfat (Safed)
    • 176 hit near or in Karmiel
    • 106 hit near or in Akko
    • 93 rockets hit the Haifa area
    • 81 rockets hit near Tiberias [11]
    • 1,800 buildings used by Hezbollah have been destroyed by Israeli forces [12]
  • 530: Hezbollah guerrillas killed by the IDF [13]
  • 309: Hezbollah rocket launchers destroyed by the IDF [14]
  • 33:  Hezbollah-built tunnels destroyed by the IDF [15]

Economic Losses to Israel: 

  • $1.6 billion: The estimated cost of damage to the economy [16]
  • $5.3 billion: The cost of the war [17]
  • $335.4 million: The estimated compensation to be given to the population of northern Israel after the war [18]   
  • $460 million: The amount of aid that will be given to local governments and emergency  services in northern Israel [19]
  • 20 percent: The percentage decrease in tourism in Israel during the war [20] 
  • $27 million: The amount of money hotels in northern Israel lost in one month of fighting [21]
  • 25,000 hotels in Israel were vacant [22]
  • $222 million: The total expected loss to the tourism industry [23]
  • 630: The number of factories in northern Israel that were closed [24]
  • $1.4 billion: The amount of money businesses lost in northern Israel [25]
  • 1.5 percent: Estimated loss in GDP [26]

Environmental Loss:

  • 50 - 60 years: Time it will take for forests to recover [27]
  • 6,178: The number of acres of grazing land burned [28]
  • 618: The number of acres of natural or planted forest burned [29]

Humanitarian Assistance into Lebanon:

  • At least 70,000 foreign nationals were assisted by the IDF in the coordination efforts to evacuate Lebanon [30]
  • 57 airplanes with humanitarian goods for Lebanese civilians were permitted to land and unload at Beirut International Airport [31]
  • Despite Israel's blockade of Lebanon by both air and sea, the IDF allowed 213 passenger ships, 123 ground convoys and 196 helicopters of foreign origin to travel through Lebanon to evacuate expatriates and tourists despite the interference it posed to the army [32] 

 

Footnotes:

[1] Rubin, Uzi, "The Rocket Campaign against Israel during the 2006 Lebanon War," June 2007, The Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, http://www.biu.ac.il/SOC/besa/docs/MSPS71.pdf
[2] Israel-Hizbullah Conflict: Victims of rocket attacks and IDF casualties," Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs Web site, accessed July 4, 2007, http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Terrorism+from+Lebanon-+Hizbullah/Israel-Hizbullah+conflict-+Victims+of+rocket+attacks+and+IDF+casualties+July-Aug+2006.htm
[3] "Hizbullah attacks northern Israel and Israel's response," Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs Web site, accessed Aug. 14, 2006, http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Terrorism+from+Lebanon-+Hizbullah/Hizbullah+attack+in+northern+Israel+and+Israels+response+12-Jul-2006.htm
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid; "Israel's War with Hezbollah: Facts and Figures," Embassy of Israel Backgrounder, Aug. 15, 2006.
[6] "Hizbullah attacks northern Israel and Israel's response," Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs Web site, accessed Aug. 14, 2006, http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Terrorism+from+Lebanon-+Hizbullah/Hizbullah+attack+in+northern+Israel+and+Israels+response+12-Jul-2006.htm
[7] Ibid.
[8] "Israel's War with Hezbollah: Facts and Figures," Embassy of Israel Backgrounder, Aug. 15, 2006.
[9] "Israel's War with Hezbollah: Facts and Figures," Embassy of Israel Backgrounder, Aug. 8, 2006.
[10] "Hizbullah attacks northern Israel and Israel's response," Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs Web site, accessed Aug. 14, 2006, http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Terrorism+from+Lebanon-+Hizbullah/Hizbullah+attack+in+northern+Israel+and+Israels+response+12-Jul-2006.htm
[11] Ibid.
[12] "The heavy human and economic cost of Lebanon war," Agence France-Presse , Aug. 14, 2006.
[13] Ibid.
[14] Ibid.
[15] Ibid.
[16] Ibid.
[17] "Israel's War with Hezbollah: Facts and Figures," Embassy of Israel Backgrounder, Aug. 15, 2006.
[18] Plotzker, Sever, "Who Will Pay the Price of War?" Yediot Ahronot , July 21, 2006.
[19] "Israel's War with Hezbollah: Facts and Figures," Embassy of Israel Backgrounder, Aug. 15, 2006.
[20] "Israel's War with Hezbollah: Facts and Figures," Embassy of Israel Backgrounder, Aug. 8, 2006.
[21] "Israel's War with Hezbollah: Facts and Figures," Embassy of Israel Backgrounder, Aug. 15, 2006.
[22] Plotzker, Sever, "Who Will Pay the Price of War?" Yediot Ahronot , July 21, 2006.
[23] "Israel's War with Hezbollah: Facts and Figures," Embassy of Israel Backgrounder, Aug. 8, 2006.
[24] Ibid.
[25] "Hizbullah attacks northern Israel and Israel's response," Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs Web site, accessed Aug. 14, 2006, http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Terrorism+from+Lebanon-+Hizbullah/Hizbullah+attack+in+northern+Israel+and+Israels+response+12-Jul-2006.htm
[26] "Israel's War with Hezbollah: Facts and Figures," Embassy of Israel Backgrounder, Aug. 15, 2006.
[27] Ibid.
[28] Ibid.
[29] Ibid.
[30] Ibid.
[31] Ibid.
[32] Ibid.

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