Background
Bint Jbeil was a major center for the Lebanese resistance during the 18 years of Israeli occupation. Following Israel's withdrawal from Bint Jbeil in 2000 the town became an important base for Hizbullah. Hizbullah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah held his victory speech in Bint Jbeil after the Israeli withdrawal, in front of a joyful audience of more than 100 000 people, Muslims and Christians, where he belittled Israeli power:
- "Barak is today calling on Lebanon to consider the withdrawal as a token of peace. This is treachery. He left having no other option... Barak still holds our prisoners in his jails, occupies territory dear to us - namely the Shebaa Farms... every prisoner in Israeli jails will soon, God willing, be back home among you. Barak and his government have no choice: I advice him to leave the Shebaa farms... he has no other choice... I tell you: the Israel that owns nuclear weapons and has the strongest air force in the region is weaker than a spider's web."
According to Israeli journalist Amir Rapaport this speech infuriated the IDF Command which over time developed a "cobwebs complex". The 2006 Lebanon war finally presented an opportunity to get even. Senior IDF officers, such as Chief of Staff Dan Halutz and Chief of Operations Gadi Eisenkot claimed that Bint Jbeil was an important "symbol". They hoped to capture the town and bring an Israeli leader to hold a victory speech at the same place where Nasrallah held his speech in 2000. Instead, according to Rapaport, Bint Jbeil would come to symbolize failure.
According to IDF estimates Bint Jbeil and the nearby village of Aynata was defended by 100-140 fighters, about 60 of whom belonged to the local garrison and around 40 belonged to the Hizbullah Special Force. The primary aim of the Hizbullah forces in the string of positions along the border was not to hold territory but to bleed the Israelis and slow down their advance.
Read more about this topic: Battle Of Bint Jbeil
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