Annan blamed Israel for deliberately targeting the UNIFIL observation post killing two to four observers. While this accusation sound baseless since apparently Israel has nothing to gain by attacking this impartial organization, the confidence expressed by Annan in his accusation must indicate that he must know something we do not.

What does Mr. Annan know about the UNIFIL activities that caused Israel to attack an international team? Why does Annan think that Israel was willing to risk alienating the nations that suffered casualties in this incident?

To understand Annan it is important to go back to an event that occurred in Oct. 7 2000. A number of Hezbollah fighters wearing UN uniforms waved to an Israeli patrol to approach them. When the Israelis did the Hezbollah team opened fire on the Israeli patrol, abducted three Israeli soldiers and sped away in a UN vehicle.

Israel contacted the UNIFIL and requested information it had about this incident and requested access to the vehicle the Hezbollah abductors used. UNIFIL refused to help Israel determine the condition of its abducted soldiers and denied having any information regarding the incident.

Israel discovered that UNIFIL made a video of the incident and that it had pictures of the vehicle that was used in the abduction. Initially the UN denied having a video. Eventually it allowed Israeli representative to view the video only once after it edited the video in a way that Israel will not be able to derive any information to identify the Hezbollah abductors. From this material and the amount of blood found in the vehicle Israel concluded that the soldiers must have been dead.

See (consider the source): http://www.un.org/News/dh/latest/videorpt.htm

The questions we need to consider are:
What was UNIFIL doing while katyushas were raining over Haifa?
Why does Annan think that Israel wanted to stop this UNIFIL activity despite the risks and the expected international condemnation?