Special report: New clash between Israeli, Lebanese troops     

    BEIRUT, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The death toll rose to 47 on Thursday since Israel began a land, sea and air assault on Lebanon following Wednesday's capture of two Israeli soldiers by Lebanese Hizbullah militia, the pan-Arabic television channel al-Jazeera reported.

    The death toll rise came after Israel has intensified reprisals after Lebanese Hizbullah seized two Israeli soldiers and killed eight others on Wednesday.

    Lebanese police sources said that on Thursday alone 28 Lebanese civilians, including 10 children, were killed in dozens of Israeli air strikes across the country.

    Intensifying their retaliative attacks, the Israeli military on Thursday began to impose naval blockade on Lebanon.

    Israeli warships were sent into the Lebanese maritime space on Thursday morning to impose a sea blockade on Lebanon, an Israeli army source said.

    Israeli army is imposing a comprehensive blockade on Lebanese air, sea and land in the wake of the Lebanese rocket firing and capture of two Israeli soldiers, the source added.

    Earlier in the day, the Israeli warplanes bombed runways of Rafik Hariri International Airport, the country's only international airport, forcing it to close.

    The Hizbullah's Al-Manar television station in the group's stronghold in Beirut's southern suburb was also hit by Israeli missile on Thursday morning, leaving six wounded, Lebanese Future television reported.

    Thursday's military escalation came in a response to Wednesday's border clashes between Hizbullah militia and Israeli army.

    On Wednesday morning, several rockets fired from Lebanon hit an Israeli community in the north, wounding some civilians.

    Shortly after the rocket firing, the Israeli army pounded southern Lebanon, stronghold of Hizbullah, and exchanged fire with Hizbullah militants over the Israel-Lebanon border.

    Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Wednesday held the Lebanese government responsible for two seized Israeli soldiers'safety, saying that the abduction of the soldiers was an act of war against Israel that would draw a "very painful" response.

    Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz also vowed Thursday that his country would not allow Lebanese Hizbullah militia to return to its strongholds along the Israeli border.

    "We will prevent Hizbullah guerrillas from returning to their stronghold on border," Peretz said, adding that "as long as I'm concerned, that's unequivocal." Enditem

Lebanese Hizbullah threatens to attack Israeli port city

    BEIRUT, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Hizbullah on Thursday threatened to hit the Israeli port city of Haifa provided that Beirut and its southern suburbs are attacked by Israeli military.