JERUSALEM: German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier meets his Israeli counterpart Tzipi Livni

Amid fierce fighting in southern Lebanon and as the international community was pushing forward a resolution that might end the war, German Minister of Foreign Affairs Frank-Walter Steinmeier met his Israeli counterpart Tzipi Livni in Jerusalem on Wednesday (August 9, 2006). The meeting took place shortly after Israel's security cabinet convened to consider whether to send troops deeper into Lebanon to fight Hizbollah guerrillas. About 1,000 Lebanese and more than 100 Israelis have been killed in four weeks of bloodshed. Israeli troops skirmished with Hizbollah near the border on Wednesday while warplanes struck targets across Lebanon. A vote on a U.N. resolution to end the war, triggered by Hizbollah's seizure of two soldiers in a July 12 cross-border raid, may not happen before Thursday because of wrangling. An Arab League delegation warned Lebanon could erupt in civil war if Beirut's terms were not met. Lebanon demands an immediate ceasefire and a quick withdrawal of thousands of Israeli troops from its south. Israel, planning to pull out only when a foreign force and the Lebanese army take over to keep Hizbollah at bay, has vowed in the absence of agreement to expand an offensive in south Lebanon to curb Hizbollah's rocket attacks on the Jewish state. A deeper Israeli advance into Lebanon could step up pressure for a deal on terms that suit Israel and its ally Washington. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's inner security cabinet met to discuss a military push to the Litani river, 20 km (13 miles) inside Lebanon, and possibly beyond. Israel's top officers and defence minister favour the plan, hoping to damage Hizbollah as much as possible before any ceasefire takes hold. So far, at least 10,000 troops have been fighting just inside the border, meeting fierce resistance from Hizbollah.

ITN Source | August 10, 2006

Tags:. .military. .terms. .prime. .miles. .israels