Unsolved case
Mansouri attack
On 13 April 1996, an Israeli Apache helicopter fired on an ambulance in the Southern Lebanese village of Mansouri, killing two women and four children among 13 civilians fleeing the village.

On 13 April 1996, an ambulance was attacked by an Israeli Apache helicopter in the village of Mansouri in Southern Lebanon. The vehicle, a Volvo marked with the word "ambulance" in red, was being driven by Abbas Jiha, a farmer who also volunteered as an ambulance driver. Jiha was transporting wounded people and four of his own children toward the city of Sidon at around 1:30 PM when the helicopter followed the vehicle and fired two missiles at it.
The attack killed six of the thirteen civilians who were in the vehicle attempting to escape the village, among them two women and four children whose ages ranged from seven months to nine years old.
In the aftermath, Israeli officials acknowledged that the vehicle had been deliberately targeted. Major General Moshe Ya'alon stated that the vehicle was "used by fighters to flee." However, an investigation conducted by Amnesty International reportedly found no connection between any of the victims and Hezbollah. Journalist Robert Fisk stated that the attack constituted a breach of the Geneva Conventions, which protect civilians even when they are in proximity to armed combatants. The Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem described the attack as a "blatant violation of the laws of war."
The Mansouri attack is referenced alongside other incidents from the same period of conflict in Southern Lebanon, including the Qana massacre, the Nabatieh Fawka attack, and Operation Grapes of Wrath, the broader Israeli military operation during which these events occurred.
Key facts
- Victims
- Abbas Jiha
- Date
- 1996
- Location
- Mansouri, Southern Lebanon
- Case status
- unsolved
Case timeline
1996-04-13
An Israeli Apache helicopter fires missiles at an ambulance driven by Abbas Jiha near Mansouri, Southern Lebanon, killing six of the thirteen civilians aboard, including two women and four children.
1996-04-29
Reported burial of the dead from the Lebanon conflict period, per contemporaneous Washington Post coverage.
Best coverage
No coverage has been attached to this file yet.
People
Abbas Jiha
VICTIMFarmer and volunteer ambulance driver who was driving the vehicle when it was attacked; survived, but four of his children were among those killed.
Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.
Places
Common questions
- What happened to the victim?
- On 13 April 1996, an Israeli Apache helicopter fired on an ambulance in the Southern Lebanese village of Mansouri, killing two women and four children among 13 civilians fleeing the village.
- Where did the crime happen?
- Mansouri, Southern Lebanon.
- What is the current status of the case?
- Status: unsolved.
Sources
- ENCYCLOPEDICMansouri attackWikipedia · 2026-07-07
- PRESSContemporaneous coverage — The IndependentThe Independent · 2026-07-07
- PRESSContemporaneous coverage — The Washington PostThe Washington Post · 2026-07-07
Record history
- First published
- JUL 07, 2026
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