Special report: New clash between Israeli, Lebanese troops    

    JERUSALEM, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Israeli army could not rule out a massive land invasion of Lebanon unless Hizbollah guerrillas freed two Israeli soldiers and stopped firing rockets, a senior Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officer said Tuesday.

    IDF deputy chief of staff Moshe Kaplinski told Israel Radio that the army would consider many possibilities for action and the offensive to halt the attacks and the capabilities of Hizbollah would continue "in a matter of weeks".

    Kaplinski emphasized that the targets of the operation was militants, not Lebanese civilians whom would be alerted before Israeli striking.

    On Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz approved the summoning of additional three IDF reservist units in the wake of the escalating military offensive on Lebanon.

    The three reservist units will take positions in Gaza and the West Bank as the units regularly serving there are expected to move to the north on Tuesday as a reinforce in the conflict with Lebanese Hizbollah, it was reported. Enditem