The documentary was about the 33-day July 2006 war, which was widely considered across the Arab world as a victory of Arab over Israeli arms.
The Italian reporter who conducted the documentary — Michela Moni — interviewed former Defense Minister Amir Peretz, former Foreign Minister Tipi Livni, and Major General MK Eyal Ben-Reuven, as well as former IDF soldier Tomer Weinberg. Moni told all three officials that the documentary was to be aired on BBC News.
Unbeknownst to the Israeli officials, and Moni herself, the interviews were broadcast Saturday on the pro-Hezbollah television channel, Al Mayadeen.
dahiya neighbourhood of beirut after 2006 war & following its completed reconstruction in 2012 (pics from waad) pic.twitter.com/y1KgwPnWwm
— Leila (@ainiladra) July 29, 2016
Moni himself has said that he had no idea the documentaries were being used for Al-Mayadeen:
"I didn't know that the interviews I was sent to do in Israel were intended for Hezbollah. Palestinian TV producer Ahmed Barghouti, who hired me in Jerusalem, told me that he was preparing interviews for a show to be aired on the BBC and on Al-Jazeera. I work a lot with this producer and I took on the task," she said.
According to Israeli news source Ynet, Moni said that he was chased down by the Israeli officials, claiming that they said to him, "how could you not tell us that this was an interview for a Hezbollah television channel?"
The documentary, entitled "Hhat happened in 2006," documents the Hezbollah capture of two Israeli soldiers in July 2006 which then resulted in Israel's invasion of South Lebanon and airstrike campaign against parts of Beirut.
Overall, it is said that 1,400 Lebanese were killed in the war. Israel decision to invade in 2006 is viewed as being ill-fated and poor-planned, and has become the subject of much criticism since.
During 2006 war on Lebanon: 1,109 Lebanese deaths, most civilians, 4,399 injured,1 million displaced via @hrw http://t.co/9RGfaUoe #hagel
— (((YousefMunayyer))) (@YousefMunayyer) January 31, 2013
A spokesperson for both Livni and Peretz has said that neither official was informed the documentary was going to be used by Al-Mayadeen.
Former IDF soldier Tomer Tweinberg said that:
"In February, Michela Moni presented himself as a journalist for the Italian ANSA news agency in Rome. He asked to interview me about the kidnapping. I declined the offer a few times."
This is not the first time that the Lebanese Hezbollah have undermined Israeli officials and the country's security; it was discovered previously that Hezbollah had dug a vast tunnel of networks under Lebanese Southern border with Israel, and have also previously succeeded in kidnapping Israel colonels.
