Israeli forces push into southern Lebanon…
Posted by tearsforlebanon on August 1, 2006
By David Clarke
BEIRUT, Aug 1 (Reuters) – Israeli forces thrust into southern Lebanon on Tuesday and pounded towns and villages, meeting fierce resistance from Hizbollah guerrillas who reportedly killed three soldiers.
Three weeks after the war erupted when Hizbollah snatched two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid, Israel’s security cabinet agreed to step up its offensive, entailing a ground sweep 6-7 km (4 miles) into Lebanon, a political source said.
Israel also said it would resume full air strikes in Lebanon early on Wednesday at the end of a partial, 48-hour suspension.
European Union foreign ministers called for an immediate end to hostilities, watering down demands for an immediate ceasefire at the insistence of Britain and other close U.S. allies.
A joint statement adopted at a rare August crisis meeting of the 25-nation bloc said: “The Council calls for an immediate end to hostilities to be followed by a sustainable ceasefire.”
Israel’s army said it had warned residents north of Lebanon’s Litani river to leave the area, suggesting air raids could target areas further north than most previous strikes.
At least 617 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Lebanon. The health minister put the toll at 750 including bodies buried under rubble. Fifty-one Israelis have been killed.
