The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported an angry exchange between Defense
Minister Amir Peretz and his predecessor, Shaul Mofaz, in the Security Cabinet
meeting. When Mofaz criticized plans for the new offensive, Peretz reportedly
shot back: "Where were you when Hezbollah built up this array (of weapons)?"
Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice called during the meeting,
officials said, and Olmert told ministers after his half-hour conversation with
her that the offensive would be accompanied by a new diplomatic push.
Under the army plan, Israeli forces would move to the Litani River, some 20
miles from the Israel-Lebanon border. At the moment, more than 10,000 troops are
engaged in house-to-house battles against Hezbollah fighters in a strip less
than half that size.
Even in the current war zone, Israeli troops have had trouble taking control
of towns and villages. Security officials say the guerrillas' bunkers, well
equipped with food, weapons and electricity, are a reason for Hezbollah's
stamina. During lulls in the fighting, gunmen emerge and set up new ambushes for
troops.
The U.N.'s top humanitarian official criticized Israel and Hezbollah for
hindering aid agencies' access to trapped civilians in southern Lebanon.
"The Hezbollah and the Israelis could give us access in a heartbeat," Jan
Egeland said in Geneva. "Then we could help 120,000 people in southern Lebanon.
I don't think that any military advantage has been gained in these last days or
will be gained in the next few hours."
The Red Cross asked the Israeli rescue service to help lobby the Israeli
government to allow more aid supplies into Lebanon, said Paul Conneally, deputy
head of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Israel.
On Thursday, troops backed by tanks and armored vehicles took up positions on
the outskirts of the Christian town of Marjayoun in south Lebanon, about six
miles from the border. Troops met no resistance. Soldiers also moved to a nearby
hill overlooking the Litani River Valley, witnesses said. Heavy battles were
reported in south Lebanese villages across from Israel's Galilee panhandle, hard
hit by rockets.
Israel hopes an expanded offensive will force Hezbollah guerrillas out of
their strongholds across southern Lebanon. The offensive is expected to last a
month and eliminate 70 percent to 80 percent of Hezbollah's short-range rocket
launchers, but not its long-range launchers, senior military officials said.
However, Trade Minister Eli Yishai, who abstained in Wednesday's vote, said
the assessment is too optimistic, saying he thought it would take "a lot
longer."
Danny Yatom, a senior member of Peretz' Labor Party and a general in the
reserves, said moving deeper into Lebanon was pointless.
"We are banging our head against the wall," he told Israel TV's Channel One.
"And even if we reach the Litani, the Katyushas (rockets) won't stop.
So far, the fighting has killed 711 people on the Lebanese side and 120
Israelis, including 38 civilians and 82 soldiers.
The economic price was also going up. Finance Minister Avraham Hirchson said
the war has cost Israel some $1.6 billion so far. He said he will ask the
government to cut $650 million from the 2006 state budget to help pay for the
war. Israel's total budget for 2006 is $56 billion.
The prospect of a wider war would put tremendous pressure on the
United Nations to rapidly agree on a cease-fire. The fighting has caused
widespread destruction across southern Lebanon and forced hundreds of thousands
of Israelis to flee or take refuge in bomb shelters.
However, France and the U.S. remained divided over a proposed truce
resolution, particularly at whether Israeli troops would be able to stay in
south Lebanon until they can hand over to a multinational force. French
President Jacques Chirac appealed for rapid agreement.
In a televised speech Wednesday night, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah
chief, rejected as "unfair and unjust" a draft U.N. resolution that would
temporarily let Israeli troops remain in south Lebanon and take defensive
action.
"It has given Israel more than it wanted and more than it was looking for,"
he said.
The Israeli government's decision came two days after Lebanon offered to send
15,000 soldiers to patrol the border region, a key Israeli demand intended to
prevent future attacks on Israel. The current fighting began when Hezbollah
fighters raided Israel July 12, killed three soldiers and captured two others.
In a major shift, Nasrallah said Hezbollah supported an army deployment,
after a cease-fire is declared and Israel leaves.
Israeli officials remained skeptical of the Lebanese offer and were not
convinced Lebanon's army would take concrete action to stop future Hezbollah
attacks.
"It is important that the Lebanese army will be accompanied by an
international force that will enable it to reach the south in an organized
manner, and to leave the place clean of Hezbollah," Israeli Foreign Minister
Tzipi Livni said.
