IDF Documents Reveal Initial Orders and Strategy in 2006 Second Lebanon War

On the 20th anniversary of the outbreak of the Second Lebanon War, dramatic documents from the IDF Operations Division safes and official IDF spokesperson communications have been revealed for the first time. These historical materials provide insight into the tense early hours of the conflict, which began on July 12, 2006, following a surprise Hezbollah attack on the Lebanon border that included the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev and the deaths of additional soldiers.

The war lasted 34 days of intense fighting in southern Lebanon and northern Israel, concluding on August 14, 2006. The newly disclosed documents include the IDF Operations Division’s first order, issued under the initial codename "Deserved Reward," which preceded the full-scale war later known as the Second Lebanon War. This order reveals the complex situation faced by the IDF, preparing to operate simultaneously on two fronts: Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.

The order detailed the kidnapping of two soldiers in the Zar’it sector and the Lebanon border during a broad Hezbollah attack that also harmed Israeli civilians. It reported eight IDF fatalities and several wounded in the western sector and noted that the Israeli Air Force had struck targets in southern Lebanon. It also warned of expected massive Katyusha rocket barrages on Israeli homefront areas starting that morning. Concurrently, the Gaza front was active with Operation "Returning Echo" underway, including airstrikes on the Palestinian Foreign Ministry.

Additionally, an official IDF spokesperson statement announced a significant escalation: the expansion of ground operations deeper into Lebanon toward the Litani River, following a cabinet decision. The statement explained that ground forces, supported by air and naval assets, would target areas from which rockets were launched at Israel, aiming to reduce attacks on northern residents and inflict greater damage on Hezbollah’s infrastructure.

These documents vividly illustrate the critical early phase of the war, from the initial shock of dual-front conflict and heavy casualties to the strategic decision to intensify ground operations in Lebanon to protect Israeli civilians and weaken Hezbollah’s capabilities.