Lebanon: 50 more civilians die
14-07-2006
By Raed El Rafei

BEIRUT, Daily Star: Israel carried out its most extensive attacks on Lebanon in at least a decade on Thursday, clamping a tight air and sea blockade and carrying out devastating air strikes in different parts of the country that killed at least 50 civilians a day after Hizbullah captured two Israeli soldiers.

The Lebanese resistance group fired at least 80 rockets at around 20 northern Israeli towns, killing two and sending at least 43 people to hospital, many for "shock."

Israeli officials said Hizbullah also launched rockets at Haifa, Israel's third-largest city, which was considered as a "major, major escalation" by Israel's ambassador to the US.

Hizbullah denied having fired rockets at the Israeli seaport, but had earlier threatened to strike Haifa if Beirut or its southern suburbs were hit.

Israel intends to "break" Hizbullah, Defense Minister Amir Peretz announced late Thursday after at least one rocket landed in Haifa.

As The Daily Star went to press, Israel had begun attacks on Hizbullah's stronghold in Beirut's southern suburbs. An AFP correspondent said at least four loud explosions had been heard in the area.

Israel, which has not ruled out ground operations in Lebanon, had warned its northern neighbor to evacuate all residents from the southern suburb area where Hizbullah's leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is believed to live.

Earlier in the day, Israel's justice minister suggested that Nasrallah was a target for assassination and said Hizbullah would be struck "wherever its members gather."

Late Thursday, Israeli warplanes dropped leaflets across Lebanon warning residents to stay away from any areas where Hizbullah is active.

"Due to the terrorist activities carried out by Hizbullah, the Israeli Army will continue its work within Lebanese territories for as long as it deems fit to protect Israeli citizens," the leaflets read. "For your own safety and because we do not wish to cause any more civilian deaths, you are advised to avoid all places frequented by Hizbullah.

"You should know that the continuation of terrorist activities against Israel will be considered a double-edged sword for you and Lebanon."

The leaflets were signed "The State of Israel."

Meanwhile, Israeli Justice Minister Haim Ramon said Hizbullah had nowhere to hide.

"Hizbullah is a target wherever it is located in Lebanon - in Tripoli, in Beirut, in every place it is a target," he said.

And Israel's army chief, Dan Halutz, refused to rule out any targets in Lebanon from attack, saying the military was prepared to continue its offensive for as long as necessary.

"Nothing is safe. It is as simple as that," he said. "Our field of action is very large and our actions diverse. We have the green light from the government."

Blaming Syria and Iran for the escalating violence, an Israeli Foreign Ministry official said it had information Hizbullah was trying to transfer the two captured Israeli soldiers to Iran.

A top Israeli official said the Jewish state would enforce its air and sea blockade until the conflict ends.

"We should not consider this a matter of days. This is going to be long," said Brigadier General Amir Eshel, the Israeli Air Force's deputy chief of staff.

But despite the rhetoric from both combatants, Thursday's bombardments were felt most by innocent civilians.

Sustained air strikes in South Lebanon killed at least 55 civilians, including more than 15 children, and wounded 100 people, security sources said.

Israeli warplanes also struck a Shiite prayer house in the eastern Bekaa Valley near Baalbek, another Hizbullah stronghold, police said.

The bodies of 12 members of the same family were retrieved from under the rubble of a

house destroyed in an Israeli air strike on the village of Zibqine, southeast of the main coastal city of Tyre, police also said.

A Lebanese Army soldier was also killed while Israeli air strikes Wednesday night killed two civilians and a Hizbullah fighter.

Along the Blue Line, sources said Israeli gunboats fired at Ras al-Naqoura and al-Labouneh areas, as well as at Biyadah and Mansouri. They added that Israeli troops blockaded border villages in Tyre and Bint Jbeil, including Ramia, Mrouhin and Aita Shaab.

Meanwhile, Hizbullah said it struck the airports of Kyriat Shmona and Roshbina in the north of Israel and fired Raad rockets at a military base in Mount Mayroun.

Monique Nenchen, a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said the organization had called on the relevant authorities to allow her to visit the two Israeli soldiers abducted by Hizbullah on Wednesday. "I have not yet received any response," she said in a statement, expressing her readiness to mediate between Hizbullah and Israel.

Thursday's actions were more widespread and more destructive than the major outburst in 1996, when Israeli troops still occupied part of South Lebanon.

Earlier Thursday, an Israeli military spokesman announced a naval blockade of Lebanese ports, saying the waterways were used to transfer "terrorists and weapons to the terror organizations operating in Lebanon." Israeli naval vessels were visible from the shore.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?ed...rticle_id=73960

Yeah kill the entire population for those two israeli soldiers who have been captured..That is how israelis negotiate by killing massive civilians and destroy infrastructures , which has made over 300000 people seeking refugee in their own country. WHere is the justice .THe world leaders sitting wz their thumbs up somewhere, and picking nose instead of stoping the war..
AND our WISE GUY BUSH is going to Deliver new advanced weapong on time to ISrael so they can wipe out the entire Lebanon on civilianz.

where was this ??????///

Was Salaam

r u joking bro M about Mr. Bldy Bush????

WAS

They are getting highly soficticated satelite weapon from USA to get rid of Hizbullah. Laserguided missiles are nothing compared what USA will send to their Cousin Israel.
Instead of coming up wz a peace plan USA is encouraging ISrael to continue wz its bloody war against palestinian and Libanese civilians.
We had a rallly in Stockholm which turned into bad situation afterwards when some people through bottles on those protesters. And the Police start hitting some brothers and the whole demonstration focused on the police instead of the Israeli embassy and helped the brothers to get released..which they also did. Alot of muslims here in Stockholm have their relatives there in Southern Lebanon and they cant get out from there. Our Goverment is allied wz Israel under the table and think we are fools and dont know which side they are supporting. All the West is silent and just watch israeli missiles hitting civilan targets..There is no condemnation or santions..why..hmmmm,,