Israeli ground troops enter Lebanon

[sonz]

Unspecified number Israeli ground troops started Wednesday operating across the border inside southern Lebanon, Israeli military sources confirmed without providing further details.

The Israeli occupation Forces (IOF) claimed that it sent ground troops to southern Lebanon in search of tunnels and weapons used by the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah, which forced Israeli out of Lebanon in 2000.

Yesterday, Israeli warplanes continued bombardment targeting many Lebanese cities, killing at least 30 people, 19 civilians and 11 soldiers of the Lebanese Army.

Israeli air raids struck the Lebanese Army barracks east of Beirut.

30 other Lebanese soldiers were hurt in the attacks.

Five big explosions were heard Wednesday morning across Beirut, witnesses said, adding that Israeli missiles hit towns to the east and south of Beirut.

Israeli officials were quoted earlier as saying that Israel might send additional military units, including ground troops into the southern Lebanon.

Yesterday, the Israeli government said it was ready to extend its military bombardment in the Lebanese territories for several more weeks to pressure the resistance movement Hezbollah, which captured 2 Israeli soldiers last week in an attempt to start negotiations with the Jewish State aimed at persuading it release the Lebanese civilians it holds.

More than 260 people, mostly civilians have been killed in the Israeli barbaric onslaught that began last week and displaced over 500,000 Lebanese.

Israel seems determined to carry on with its offensive, described by many political experts and analysts as an attempt by the Jewish State to turn the Lebanese population against Hezbollah, which it seeks to disarm.

But Hezbollah seems militarily equipped and ready for an extended military confrontation with the Israeli army.

Hezbollah fighters continued their rocket attacks against Israeli towns, killing one soldier on Tuesday.

The Lebanese Prime Minister, Fouad Siniora, criticized the world for failing to stop the Israeli offensive.

"The international community is not doing all that is can in order to stop Israel continuing its aggression against Lebanon," Siniora said. "They are stopping short of exercising the necessary pressure on Israel, while Israel is taking this as a green light."

• “Protect civilians”

Amnesty International urged the UN Security Council to take an immediate action to protect civilians caught up in the daily Israeli bombardment to Lebanese cities.

The international organization criticised the G8 member states for failing to force Israel stop its killing machine in Lebanon which has so far claimed the lives of over 200 civilians.

"The past few days has seen a horrendous escalation in attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure. Yet the G8 leaders have failed conspicuously to uphold their moral and legal obligation to address such blatant breaches of international humanitarian law, which in some cases have amounted to war crimes." said Malcolm Smart, Director of Amnesty International’s Middle East Programme.

“Beyond the blame game exercise, what is needed are concrete proposals for urgent action to stop the killings of civilians in both Lebanon and Israel."

A convoy of medical goods donated by the United Arab Emirates was hit during Israeli attacks on the Bekaa valley in Lebanon Tuesday.
The two trucks were destroyed and their drivers killed.

• U.S. starts Lebanon evacuation

Hundreds of Americans and Europeans started fleeing Lebanon aboard ships, to escape the mounting bombardment of Israeli forces in the country.

Many Americans complained about their government’s slow response and failure to help them escape the Israeli violence that put their lives at risk.

"We will see a dramatic ramp up tomorrow (Wednesday)," Assistant Secretary of State Maura Harty said yesterday.

Hundreds of Americans gathered at the fortified U.S. Embassy compound early today to be taken to Beirut's port to board a ship out of the country.