An Israeli military operation conducted in southern Lebanon on 11-27 April 1996, with the stated goal of neutralizing Hezbollah rocket attacks on northern Israel. It followed the 1993 Operation Accountability, which had similar goals. The fighting included ground battles between Israel, its allied militia South Lebanon Army, and Hezbollah, as well as Israeli aircraft and artillery strikes and rocket attacks by Hezbollah. On 18 April, Israeli forces shelled a UN compound near the village of Qana, allegedly by mistake, killing over 100 civilians, and leading to a UN Security Council call for an immediate ceasefire. On 26 April, the United States brokered an informal understanding between the Israeli and Lebanese governments, which went into effect the next day and caused the de-escalation of hostilities.