Israel has decided to withdraw from the north part of Lebanese border village of Ghajar and hand it over to the UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Sunday. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

    JERUSALEM, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- The upper echelons of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) failed at every level during the summer's Israel-Hezbollah conflict, according to a report presented to Israel's general staff, local newspaper reported on Wednesday.

    Amiram Levine, who was appointed by the IDF to examine the conduct of the northern command during the war, said in his report that failures were found at all senior levels of the army, local daily Ha'aretz reported online.

    In his report, which was presented in November, Levine described serious flaws in the conduct of senior officers.

    Levine said that one of the serious flaws in the conduct of the IDF during the war was its preference to the use of air power overground forces.

    He also point out that the call up of reservist units and their deployment was delayed, which gave Hezbollah time to prepare for countering ground offensives.

    In conclusion, Levine said that the way the IDF was deployed during the war was flawed and that the aims of the war were not achieved, adding that the IDF's northern command had not fulfilled its task of protecting the northern communities.

    After the 34-day long Israel-Hezbollah conflict reached an ceasefire on August 14, there had been widespread criticism on the performance of army's upper level in the war.

UN rights mission: Israel breaks law in Lebanon

    GENEVA, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- A fact-finding mission designated by the UN Human Rights Council said on Tuesday that Israel broke human rights law in Lebanon during its month-long conflict with Hezbollah militias.

    Israel engaged in "a significant pattern of excessive, indiscriminate and disproportionate force" against Lebanese civilians that amounted to "a flagrant violation" of international law, said the inquiry mission in a draft report. Full Story 

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