ABSTRACT
During the summer of 2006, a new chapter of war and reconstruction unfolded in Lebanon. On 12 July 2006, Hezbollah fi ghters launched ‘Operation Truthful Promise’,1 capturing two Israeli soldiers in an att empt to negotiate an exchange of prisoners. In response, Israel waged a full-scale war on Lebanon. The off ensive included massive air strikes and artillery fi re on targets scatt ered throughout the country, coupled with an air and naval blockadeand a ground invasion of Southern Lebanon. Though the military confrontation is just one episode in the ongoing Arab-Israeli confl ict, it is, much like the other episodes, aff ected by developments in global politics.
