Demand Justice for the 1996 Qana Bombing Survivors

Synopsis

Description

Take action today to demand justice for the more than 100 Lebanese civilians - half of them children - killed in 1996 when the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) intentionally shelled a UN compound in Qana. In 1996, the IDF launched an operation called "Grapes of Wrath," a three-week campaign in southern Lebanon to pressure the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah. More than 800 civilians had taken shelter in a UN compound in Qana, Lebanon, while their villages were being bombed. Ten years later, the victims have not been compensated, and justice has not been done.

In 2005, CCR filed a class action lawsuit against retired Lt. Gen. Moshe Ya'alon, who as head of the Intelligence Branch of the IDF at the time, made the decision to shell the UN compound. The case - Belhas v. Ya'alon - was dismissed in December 2006 by a district court judge who found that Ya'alon had acted in his official capacity and was therefore immune from being sued. But CCR argues that knowingly shelling a UN compound housing civilians is in direct violation of international humanitarian as well as Israeli law, and that Ya'alon should stand trial for war crimes.

Help CCR keep this struggle for justice alive and write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. Few people have heard of or remember the 1996 Qana massacre. We need your help to educate your community about this horrific bombing.

Download a CCR factsheet to learn more and share it with your friends and family.