Marwahin
Encyclopedia
Marwahin is a town in Lebanon
, on its border with Israel
.
During the 2006 Lebanon War, Marwahin was the site of ground exchanges between Israel
and Hezbollah. UNIFIL forces reported seeing Hezbollah fire rockets from the vicinity of the village and during operations in Marwahin, and Israel Defense Forces
found Hezbollah weapons in the basement of the village mosque. According to Human Rights Watch
, the villagers of Marwahin reported having problems with Hezbollah fighters and weapons infiltrating their village almost as soon as the war started. Hezbollah fighters ignored villagers' pleas to leave the village and parked a white van packed with weapons next to the village mosque, where it remained until it was destroyed by an Israeli strike. Unknown to the villagers, Hezbollah had also placed a large cache of rockets and other weapons in the home of a villager who was sympathetic to Hezbollah. In one case, Human Rights Watch
reported that a villager spotted three Hezbollah fighters carrying weapons and rockets behind her home, hiding the weapons in blue blankets. When she objected, one of the Hezbollah "fighters turned his automatic weapon on her, and told her to 'shut up and go inside.'” UNIFIL officials refused assistance to the Marwahin villagers.
Lebanese civilian refugee
s from the town were killed by Israeli Defense Force artillery
and helicopter gunship fire while stopped by the sea on the road north of the village.According to Human Rights Watch, the sudden appearance of two parked vehicles, including a pickup truck, in line of sight of another Israeli warship the morning after Hezbollah attacked an Israeli Navy ship with a C-802 Silkworm anti-ship cruise missile "probably caused the Israelis to assume the broken-down civilian convoy was another Hezbollah missile firing team preparing to attack their ship."
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, on its border with Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
During the 2006 Lebanon War, Marwahin was the site of ground exchanges between Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and Hezbollah. UNIFIL forces reported seeing Hezbollah fire rockets from the vicinity of the village and during operations in Marwahin, and Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
found Hezbollah weapons in the basement of the village mosque. According to Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
, the villagers of Marwahin reported having problems with Hezbollah fighters and weapons infiltrating their village almost as soon as the war started. Hezbollah fighters ignored villagers' pleas to leave the village and parked a white van packed with weapons next to the village mosque, where it remained until it was destroyed by an Israeli strike. Unknown to the villagers, Hezbollah had also placed a large cache of rockets and other weapons in the home of a villager who was sympathetic to Hezbollah. In one case, Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
reported that a villager spotted three Hezbollah fighters carrying weapons and rockets behind her home, hiding the weapons in blue blankets. When she objected, one of the Hezbollah "fighters turned his automatic weapon on her, and told her to 'shut up and go inside.'” UNIFIL officials refused assistance to the Marwahin villagers.
Lebanese civilian refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
s from the town were killed by Israeli Defense Force artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
and helicopter gunship fire while stopped by the sea on the road north of the village.According to Human Rights Watch, the sudden appearance of two parked vehicles, including a pickup truck, in line of sight of another Israeli warship the morning after Hezbollah attacked an Israeli Navy ship with a C-802 Silkworm anti-ship cruise missile "probably caused the Israelis to assume the broken-down civilian convoy was another Hezbollah missile firing team preparing to attack their ship."