ISRAEL: Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni says Israeli offensive against Hizbollah guerillas in south Lebanon is expected to end on Monday

Israel's offensive against Hizbollah guerrillas in south Lebanon is expected to end on Monday (August 14), Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said on Saturday (August 12). Livni said the offensive had continued despite a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for an end to the war because the army had requested an extension. "We said (we would) allow the army the time it needed and I think that will be until some time on Monday," she told Channel Two television. Livni gave no time for the end to the offensive. A senior official said it would be at 7 a.m. (0400 GMT). In an interview with Israeli Channel 2, Israeli Defence Minister said the army will continue to operate until the ceasefire agreement is accepted by the Israeli government and implemented by all parties involved. "The fighting will continue until the moment in which the ceasefire will be declared. We are a state that is honouring the Security Council's decisions, and in the second that the ceasefire is declared we will implement it. But we will not agree for anyone to hurt the IDF soldiers while they are staying in the field. If someone dares to use force against the IDF soldiers we will consider it as the ceasefire agreement," he said. But Israeli troops continued to operate in southern Lebanon as the army announced it had started broadening its ground offensive in south Lebanon. The army said its forces have reached the area of the Litani river. Israeli officials had said before Friday's U.N. vote that the army would press ahead with its military campaign to quell Hizbollah cross-border rocket fire, at least until Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's cabinet met on Sunday. They said Olmert would urge his cabinet to approve the U.N. resolution, which authorises 15,000 U.N. troops to be deployed to monitor a phased Israeli withdrawal and to help the Lebanese army deploy in southern Lebanon, now controlled by Hizbollah. At least 11 Israeli soldiers were killed by Hizbollah guerrillas in southern Lebanon on Saturday, an Israeli army spokeswoman said. The spokeswoman said the most recent attacks included an Israeli officer and two soldiers who were killed when Hizbollah fighters fired an anti-tank missile at their tank. Fighting erupted on July 12 after Hizbollah guerrillas abducted two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid. Israel launched an air and ground campaign, and Hizbollah started firing rocket barrages into northern Israel.

ITN Source | August 13, 2006

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