The Daily Star - Opinion Articles - 3 prerequisites for an effective international force: "Civilian deaths in Israel's war in Lebanon now exceed 800, including almost 60 victims in Qana and 18 Israeli civilians killed by Hizbullah rockets. By comparison, the six-year period between Israel's unilateral withdrawal from South Lebanon in May 2000 until the Hizbullah operation of last July 12 was more or less placid. During that earlier period, half a dozen Israeli civilians succumbed to Hizbullah weapons, and only a few more Lebanese civilians were killed by hostile action.
The rules of the game were well understood by Israel and Hizbullah. As Israeli analyst Daniel Sobelman wrote in 2004: '[T]he sides have abided by these ground rules, prudently avoiding disproportionate moves. Infrequently, when one party identifies an apparent imbalance, steps are quickly taken to re-impose the status quo ante. This dynamic has become one of the most important stabilizing features in the border landscape.'"
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