Israel's bombing of Lebanon close to matching US 2003 'shock and awe' tactics in Iraq

Israeli military claims to have mounted 1,600 air strikes on first day of campaign to prepare for ground attack

Explosions rock Beirut's southern suburbs during an Israeli rocket barrage. AFP

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The severity of Israel’s bombing of Lebanon almost matches that of the US aerial assault on Iraq in 2003 during the invasion to topple Saddam Hussein, according to the Israeli Air Force’s own account of its campaign.

The bombing of Iraq, intended to stun regime forces into rapid surrender, was envisioned by planners as a “shock and awe” assault, mainly by air before the ground invasion began. The strategist behind the “shock and awe” phrase, Harlan K. Ullman, said the aim was to use overwhelming force to make the enemy feel helpless.

It remains one of the most intense bombing campaigns in history but was focused on about 700,000 Iraqi forces - many of whom chose not to fight - across an area close to the size of France, about 400,000 square kilometres.

Lebanon is about 10,000 square kilometres and much Israeli bombing is focused on the south and Beirut. Hezbollah is thought to number anywhere between 20,000 and 50,000 fighters, according to various analysts.

At least 2,000 people have been killed in Lebanon since October 8 last year. Health authorities say the toll includes 127 children and 73 medical workers. Israel says it is targeting Hezbollah fighters. Deaths are rising sharply.

The initial plan in Iraq called for 3,000 targets to be struck in the first 24 hours of the assault. But problems including sand storms and rapidly dispersing Iraqi forces made it a struggle to find targets so the number averaged about 500 daily for the first four days, US pilots said after the war.

Fires burn in Baghdad during the first wave of attacks in the 'shock and awe' phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom on March 21, 2003. Getty Images

Overall invasion bombardments, including those launched by British jets, soon stepped up as fighting intensified and peaked at about 2,000 bombs a day, according to a post-war analysis by an RAF veteran group commander of the conflict.

Israel’s air force said it has mounted several days of strikes comprising more than 4,600 targets hit between September 20 and October 3. While this averages 383 targets struck per day, the Israeli air force said 1,600 targets were struck in the first 24 hours of the assault, close to the height of the Iraq invasion.