Allegations of war crimes in the 2006 Lebanon War in itself is not conclusive evidence of intent to use civilians as "human shields", any more than the presence of Israeli soldiers in a kibbutz is in itself evidence of the same war crime." There have been other reports of Hezbollah using civilians as human shields. On 12 July, the very same day that Hezbollah sparked the war by kidnapping the two Israeli soldiers, the Israeli government publicized photographic and video evidence of Hezbollah's human shield tactics. The Sunday Herald Sun printed pictures that were smuggled out of Lebanon. One showing militants in a Lebanese town riding a truck equipped
Kidnapping of Jalal Sharafi Hosseini said, "elements related to the Iraqi defence ministry who are known to be under U.S. control" were responsible for the kidnapping and the U.S. government has "violated all international and diplomatic norms by launching such operations which will in general have negative impacts on diplomatic norms around the world." Iran said it held the United States responsible for the diplomats "safety and life." Iran harshly condemned the kidnapping of an Iranian diplomat as a "terrorist act." The French Foreign Ministry said in a statement, "We learned with concern about the kidnapping of a member of the Iranian embassy in