ISRAEL: Night shots of Israeli troops preparing to cross border into Lebanon

Record ID: 396876

  • Title: ISRAEL: Night shots of Israeli troops preparing to cross border into Lebanon
  • Date: 2nd August 2006
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS PREPARING THEIR WEAPONS
  • Embargoed: 17th August 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Israel
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: Defence / Military
  • Reuters ID: LVADDWIAJV9400D0BBDFGU8RSAIA
  • Story Text: Israeli forces prepared on Tuesday (August 1) to press on with a ground offensive against Hizbollah guerillas as the Middle East conflict entered a new phase - with Israel's security cabinet giving the green light to step up ground operations.
    Despite a partial 48-hour suspension of air strikes heavy fighting raged in villages across southern Lebanon as the Israeli army said it was engaged on six fronts in Lebanon - with a brigade size force or bigger on each of them. An Israeli Army brigade is typically at least 1,000 strong.
    The Israeli army said three Israeli soldiers were killed in fighting in the south. Hizbollah said it launched multiple rockets at Matzuva in northern Israel, and the Israeli army said five of its soldiers were wounded in cross-border fire.
    The three Israeli soldiers killed in Aita al-Shaab were the first army deaths since Israel lost nine soldiers on July 26. Hizbollah said it had inflicted 35 casualties in house-to-house battles in the village, and its television station aired footage of captured equipment including blood-stained body armour.
    Israel's justice minister said about 300 of an estimated 2,000 Hizbollah fighters had been killed so far, and the tourism minister later said 400 had been killed.
    Hizbollah, which says it does not hide its dead and that it has many thousands more fighters, has announced 43 deaths in that period and said the Israeli statements were false.
    At least 624 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Lebanon. The health minister put the toll at 750 including bodies buried under rubble. Fifty-four Israelis have been killed, 36 of them soldiers.
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