VARIOUS: Israel expands ground war in Lebanon and clashes with Hizbollah guerilla fighters at night

Record ID: 376392

  • Title: VARIOUS: Israel expands ground war in Lebanon and clashes with Hizbollah guerilla fighters at night
  • Date: 10th August 2006
  • Summary: (BN12) ISRAEL-LEBANON BORDER (AUGUST 9, 2006) (REUTERS) WIDE OF ROAD WHERE ISRAELI ARMY EVACUATING WOUNDING SOLDIERS. TROOPS TENDING TO WOUNDED SOLDIERS ISRAELI TROOPS AND VEHICLES HELICOPTER FLYING AWAY FROM SITE
  • Embargoed: 25th August 2006 13:00
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  • Reuters ID: LVAAWJVT4E37HQYX8JV94KPXD2HZ
  • Story Text: Israel decided on Wednesday to expand its ground offensive in Lebanon, and Hizbollah's leader vowed to turn southern Lebanon into a graveyard for Israeli troops and unleash more rockets on the city of Haifa.
    With world powers divided on a U.N. resolution to try to end the 4-week-old war, at least 11 Israeli soldiers were reported killed in fighting with Hizbollah guerrillas.
    Israeli television and Lebanese witnesses said armoured columns were moving into southern Lebanon under cover of intensive artillery fire. The Israeli army said the push was to quell Hizbollah rocket fire from the town of al-Khiam and would not go beyond the current area of military operations.
    Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's security cabinet authorised a plan to send troops further, possibly to the Litani river, up to 20 km (13 miles) from the border. A senior political source said the expanded offensive could last 30 days.
    U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Israel had a right to defend itself from Hizbollah but that Washington was very concerned about the humanitarian situation and Israel "must take the utmost care" to avoid civilian casualties.
    The Israeli move could complicate U.N. diplomacy to halt the fighting, though Western diplomats said Israeli officials had assured them the army was prepared to halt the wider campaign within days if an agreement was reached at the United Nations.
    There has been mounting domestic pressure in Israel to strike harder against Hizbollah, which has proved unexpectedly resilient against the Middle East's most sophisticated army.
    A Tel Aviv University poll showed 93 percent of Israelis believed the campaign in Lebanon was justified, and 91 percent backed the air strikes even if they destroyed Lebanese infrastructure and inflicted suffering on civilians.
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