Operation Grapes of Wrath
In response to the heightened tension, due to Hezbollah’s rocket attacks on the northern cities of Israel (especially Qiryat Shmona), Prime Minister Shimon Peres launched Operation "Grapes of Wrath" on April 11, 1996.
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Operation Grapes of Wrath
Hundreds of rockets had landed in northern Israel.
During the operation, Shiite villages in southern Lebanon were bombed with the aim of causing civilians to move north towards Beirut, thus pressuring the Syrian and Lebanese governments to fight concretely against the actions of Hezbollah.
"The idea behind this operation is to create the best conditions on a national and diplomatic scale to reach negotiations with the Lebanese and the Syrians," explained Major General Herzl Bodinger, Commander of the Israeli Air Force at the time. Implementation of this idea involved an attack of the infrastructure to bring about collateral economic damage that would become increasingly important over time in order to influence the inhabitants and the Lebanese government.
Civilian residences where Hezbollah terrorists had taken refuge
Shortly after the start of the operation, it was decided that it was unfair to create a situation in which the Lebanese and Syrian governments would suffer while Hezbollah, the direct originator of the rocket fire and thus the reason for this operation, was left unscathed.
