A/HRC/3/2 page 20 the 1982 Israeli occupation of Lebanon. Hezbollah has grown to an organization active in the Lebanese political system and society, where it is represented in the Lebanese parliament and in the cabinet. It also operates its own armed wing, as well as radio and satellite television stations. It further funds and manages its own social development programmes. 38. Throughout the 1980s, 1990s and after, Hezbollah’s raison d’être has been the continued occupation by Israel of Lebanese territory and the detention of Lebanese prisoners in Israel. The extent of the destruction and the difficult conditions that the Israeli occupation imposed on the Lebanese population, particularly the Shiite population living in south Lebanon, generated strong popular support for Hezbollah. Furthermore, a number of incidents involving Israeli attacks against the civilian population, the Sabra and Chatila killings in 1982, and the Nabatiyeh incident a year later, as well as the high number of Lebanese and Palestinians held in Israeli detention, further strengthened the commitment to Hezbollah’s objective of driving the Israeli occupying forces out of Lebanese territory. 39. Hezbollah has maintained an active armed presence despite Security Council resolution 1559 (2004). While this failure to disarm constitutes a non-compliance with the resolution, Hezbollah’s military wing maintains that it is entitled to exercise armed resistance against Israel’s unlawful occupation of Lebanese territory. 2. The July-August 2006 hostilities 40. On 12 July 2006, a new incident between Hezbollah military wing and IDF led to an upward spiral of hostilities in Lebanon and Israel that resulted in a major armed confrontation. The situation began when Hezbollah fighters fired rockets at Israeli military positions and border villages while another Hezbollah unit crossed the Blue Line, killed eight Israeli soldiers and captured two. 41. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert described this capture as an action by the sovereign country of Lebanon that attacked Israel and promised a “very painful and far-reaching response.”12 Israel blamed the Government of Lebanon for the raid, as it was carried out from Lebanese territory and Hezbollah was part of the Government.13 42. In response, Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora denied any knowledge of the raid and stated that he did not condone it.14 An emergency meeting of the Government of Lebanon reaffirmed this position. Furthermore, in a letter dated 13 July 2006 to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council, the Government of Lebanon declared that “[T]he Lebanese Government was not aware of the events that occurred and are occurring on the international Lebanese border” and that “[T]he Lebanese Government is not responsible for these events and does not endorse them.”15 43. From 13 July 2006, the IDF attacked Lebanon by air, sea and land. Israeli ground forces carried out a number of incursions on Lebanese territory. Israel’s chief of staff Dan Halutz stated that “if the soldiers are not returned, we will turn Lebanon’s clock back 20 years,”16 while the head of Israel’s Northern Command Udi Adam said, “this affair is between Israel and the State of Lebanon. Where to attack? Once it is inside Lebanon, everything is legitimate - not just southern Lebanon, not just the line of Hezbollah posts.”17 The Israeli Cabinet authorized “severe and harsh” retaliation on Lebanon.18