This is a very enlightening article with firsthand accounts of how the Christian community of Ain Ebel in southern Lebanon was forced into bombardment by Israeli forces by Hezbollah’s military reign there during the Hezbollah-Israel war of the summer of 2006. The article is very long, and has many pictures accompanying the reporting. Continue reading below to see some excerpts I found interesting.

When some Lebanese tried to leave Ain Ebel for their safety during the Israeli bombardment, Hezbollah militants fired upon them, forcing them to stay to fulfill their role as civilian bystanders:

He told me that 18 days after the start of the war a large group of civilians decided it was time to leave Ain Ebel and flee to the north. They were no longer willing to stay while Israel fired back at Hezbollah’s rocket launchers. It was too dangerous, and Hezbollah insisted on staying and endangering those who lived there.

So they fled the area in a convoy of civilian vehicles. It was safer, they figured, to travel in a group than alone.

On their way out of the village, Hezbollah fighters stood on the side of the road and opened fire with machine guns on the fleeing civilians.

I was shocked, and I asked Alan to confirm this. Was it really true? Hezbollah opened fire on Lebanese civilians with machine guns? Alan confirmed this was true.

“Why?” I had an idea, but I wanted a local person to say it.

Because, Alan said, Hezbollah wanted to use the civilians of Ain Ebel as “human shields.” I did not use the phrase “human shields.” These were Alan’s own words.

Hezbollah had the community hostage in their own neighborhood at gunpoint from the start:

“Did anyone here try to stop Hezbollah?” I said.

“How?” Alan said. “We have no weapons. Some people told Hezbollah to leave, but they pointed guns in our faces. Shut up, go back in your house, we were told.”

At the southern edge of town is an open field with a direct view to the south toward Israel.

“Hezbollah could have set up their rocket launchers here instead of in town,” Noah said. “It’s a straight shot into Israel.”

“The houses and trees gave them better cover,” Alan said. “The valley below, though, gave them even better cover than the village. If that’s all they cared about they would have stayed there.”

The Hezbollah “freedom fighters” not only were the reason that Israel’s harsh response hit Lebanese bystanders, they encouraged it:

“Did they ever go into houses where people were still living?” I said.

“No,” he said.

“Okay,” I said.

I wondered if Hezbollah deserved credit for not encroaching on people’s personal space, but Jad answered that question before I could ask it.

“They chose specific houses because nobody was living there and nobody would know.”

“Did they choose to come to this town for strategic or tactical reasons?” Noah said. “Or was it because it’s a Christian town?”

“Strategically, of course,” Jad said. “It’s a high peak. It is very good strategically. But they could have chosen these parts, these lands…” He gestured with his arm toward the valley below, the place Alan promised to take us next. “It would have been more protection for them than this village. So why did they come here? I think it’s because it’s a Christian village. They do this.” [Emphasis mine]

Anybody who criticizes Israel for defending attacks on their land by responding with great force that unfortunately killed innocent bystanders needs to readjust their criticism towards Hezbollah for forcing the innocents into becoming targets. One last interesting tidbit:

“We don’t have any arms,” Jad said. “Hezbollah has arms. But there was this incident that happened. Next to a guy’s place they were firing Katyushas – you know, missiles. They were firing from the house. This guy went out and said Please, do not fire from our home, from in front of our house. My father is very ill and there are some children in the house. They came to him and said Shut up, go in your house, this is none of your business.”

Those Hezbollah fighters sure are caring for the Lebanese, huh? Michael J. Totten, the author of this article, has many more interesting articles on his website about Middle Eastern affairs with first-hand accounts from citizens who live in the region. I’ve read through a few of the other articles and posts, and they are fascinating. I suggest everyone take a look at his site.