Editorial: Israel must end civilian suffering

Opinion

For 11 days, Israel has been bombing targets in Lebanon in response to the capture of two Israeli soldiers by the Muslim militant organisation Hizbollah. The death toll, mainly of Lebanese civilians, has passed 330, and more than half a million people have fled their homes in Shiite areas of Lebanon where Hizbollah operates.

It goes without saying that Hizbollah must be stopped, by its patrons or the international community, from its relentless missile attacks which have killed around 30 civilians in Israeli towns. But the Israeli action, initially understandable, has long since exceeded any reasonable response to the capture of its soldiers. The Old Testament's "eye for an eye" has been crudely exaggerated. This is no longer a reaction to the kidnap provocation, it is a calculated campaign by Israel to destroy the guerilla group on its northern border while it has the opportunity.

The first question is why, or rather, why now? Hizbollah has been one of several thorns in Israel's side for decades, as has Hamas, which took a pounding from Israel in Gaza just before the campaign against Hizbollah started. The attacks appear designed to demonstrate the mettle of a fairly new Israeli Government and perhaps to warn militant groups that they should not read any sign of weakness into concessions of territory to Palestinians. Iran's revived leadership of radical Islam has convinced Israel to counterpunch early and overwhelmingly against the terror group that it sponsors.

Whatever Israel's motive and strategy may be, it is doing terrible damage to the small, delicate state of Lebanon. It is only a year since Lebanon extracted itself from Syrian control and elected an independent Government again. The Government and its Army are still finding their feet, and are obviously unready to bring Hizbollah to heel, as Israel demands.

Yet it is the innocent civilians of Lebanon, rather than the Syrian-armed, Iranian sponsored guerrillas, who are taking the brunt of Israeli firepower. The Lebanese Government's only possible response is to appeal to international sympathy, and it is receiving plenty of it. But not enough yet to induce the United States to bring pressure to bear on Israel.

President Bush continues to speak of Israel's right to defend itself, which is taken in Tel Aviv as a nod to continue. The US attitude, and the unofficial sanction of one week's grace to dismantle Hizbollah, leaves Beirut cruelly exposed, particularly as it was the Bush Administration which urged Lebanon to do away with Syrian protection. Israel has destroyed Lebanese homes, roads, bridges, airport, broadcasting towers and other infrastructure. It can no longer pretend to be selecting only terror targets with its "precision-guided" missiles. Bombing civilians is a misguided method of putting political pressure on the target state. Israelis, traumatised so often by suicide bombings in restaurants, cafes and buses know that better than anyone. Lebanon's 330 dead would represent the total of many of Israel's own recent terrorist atrocities combined.

Israel wants the Lebanese to insist that their Government prevent Hizbollah from using Lebanon as a base for operations against Israel. The tactic might be justifiable if the target Government was capable of imposing its authority. But for most of its history Lebanon has been a far from cohesive state.

There is nothing to gain from bringing political pressure on Beirut, and no purpose in making civilians suffer. Terrorism will not be eliminated solely by force, and indiscriminate force may sow anti-Israel hatred in young Lebanese hearts for generations. Hizbollah is the enemy, not the wider Lebanese populace. Israel should cease its bombing of these defenceless people.