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Special report: Israel-Lebanon conflicts [Gallery] [Videos]
Related story:
Eight Israelis killed in Hezbollah
rocket attacks
JERUSALEM, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Defense
Minister Amir Peretz on Thursday evening ordered the army to prepare for a new
phase of its military offensive in southern Lebanon to push the area of its
control to Lebanon's Litani River, Channel Two television reported.
Peretz has asked the army to prepare for a possible
push north to Lebanon's Litani River, about 30 kilometers from the border, to
stop Hezbollah rocket fire, said the TV report.
Peretz's spokesman confirmed that the army has
received orders from the Defense Minister to prepare for an eventual seizure of
southern Lebanon up to the Litani River.
Such an operation means extending Israel's control
past the security zone it used to hold before its withdrawal in May 2000.
Reports reaching here from Beirut said Israeli planes on Thursday dropped flyers
on southern part of the Lebanese capital, near the international airport, urging
civilians to leave as "bombing of the area would be extended".
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| Photo taken on August 3,
2006 shows a car damaged by Hezbollah rockets in northern
Israel. Eight people were killed and dozens wounded in massive rocket
attacks by Lebanese Hezbollah on northern Israel on Thursday, local media
said. (Xinhua Photo) |
Peretz's decision was made in response to the
Hezbollah rocket attacks Thursday which claimed some eight people's lives in
northern Israel, newspaper Ha'aretz quoted military officials as saying, adding
the move still requires the approval of the security cabinet and need a further
call-up of reservist soldiers. Meanwhile, dozens more wounded in a massive
rocket barrage on northern towns Thursday afternoon.
Three Israeli soldiers were also killed on Thursday
in heavy fighting with Hezbollah guerillas in southern Lebanon. Israeli police
reported that 130 rockets were fired into Israel within 90 minutes on Thursday
afternoon.
Five were killed in Acre when a rocket hit a nearby
home while residents stood on a balcony and three others were killed in rocket
attacks near Ma'alot.
Violence between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah
erupted on July 12 after Hezbollah guerillas captured two Israeli soldiers and
killed eight during cross-border attacks.
Israel has waged a 23-day-old massive assault in
Lebanon and expanded its ground operations while Hezbollah has showered Israel
with rockets.
In a video statement to a meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) on Thursday, Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said that over 900 people had been killed and about 3,000 people wounded in Israel's over-three-week-old offensive. On the Israeli side, over 60 Israelis have also been killed in the conflict, according to media counts. Enditem [1] [2] [3] [4]
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