Israel is marking the anniversary of last year's Lebanon war. As Robert Berger reports from VOA's Jerusalem bureau, Israel is still casting a wary eye over its northern border.

Israeli gunners cover their ears as an artillery piece fires into southern Lebanon from a position on the border near Kiryat Shmona, northern Israel , Saturday, July 15, 2006

"There were many difficulties and many failures during the war; the war itself was a failure," said Former Defense Minister Moshe Arens.

Arens says the failure has harmed Israeli deterrence.

Israeli troops near Lebanese border

An official inquiry also declared the war a failure, saying Prime Minister Ehud Olmert rushed into the conflict without a battle plan. It accused him of a serious failure in judgment, caution and responsibility. As a result, Mr. Olmert's approval rating plunged to single digits.

Ehud Olmert, 24 Jun 2007

He says the northern border is quiet today, and residents are much more secure than they were a year ago.

But the question is: How long will it last? Both Israel and the United Nations say Hezbollah is re-arming despite the deployment of 13,000 U.N. peacekeepers in southern Lebanon.

Lebanese woman reacts after looking at rubble of one of three destroyed houses hit by two Israeli air strikes Sunday in the village of Brital, Monday, August 14, 2006

Therefore, the assessment in the Israeli army is that another conflict with Hezbollah is inevitable.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International accused both Israel and Hezbollah of failing to investigate alleged war crimes during the conflict. Amnesty criticized Hezbollah for firing rockets at Israeli cities and towns, and Israel for bombing civilian areas and using cluster bombs.