MIDDLE EAST: Amid diplomatic efforts to solve crisis, Israel presses ahead with offensive on Lebanon

An Israeli air strike killed 54 civilians, including 37 children, on Sunday (July 30) as Israel pressed ahead with a 19-day-old war on Lebanon aimed at freeing two captured Israeli soldiers and halting rocket attacks on its territory. It was the bloodiest single attack during the Israeli offensive on Hizbollah. "I think it should be clear that Israel is in no rush for a ceasefire before we achieve the same situation where we can say that we achieved our main goals that we set for ourselves and that requires developing the political process and reaching a detailed agreement about creating the forces that would secure the areas from which there is danger to Israel in these days," Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told his ministers at a cabinet meeting. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who arrived on Saturday (July 29) on her second visit to the region since the violence flared, met Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defence Minister Amir Peretz to step up diplomatic efforts aimed at solving the crisis. With her peace mission in tatters after the airstrike in Qana, the top U.S. diplomat was forced to cancel a trip to Beirut. The United States has come under strong criticism for not calling for an immediate ceasefire on the fighting which began when the militant group Hizbollah abducted two Israeli soldiers and killed eight others in a cross-border raid on July 12. At least 542 people have been killed in Lebanon in the war, although the Lebanese health minister estimated the toll at 750 including unrecovered bodies. Fifty-one Israelis have also been killed. Israel called-up three divisions of reserve soldiers, amounting to around 15,000 soldiers, to report for duty as it fights Hizbollah guerrillas in Lebanon. Many of the reservists were reporting to duty at bases throughout Israel. The latest clashes in southern Lebanon near the Israeli border erupted when Israeli soldiers crossed the Israeli border towards the town of Khiam. Israeli aircraft and artillery pounded the Shi'ite town while guerrillas fired rockets at northern Israel, Lebanese security sources said. Palestinians across the West Bank and Gaza took to the streets to protest against the Israeli war on Lebanon and demonstrate support for Lebanese civilians. Several hundred Palestinians burned tires and blocked roads in Bethlehem, joining into rallies across the West Bank. In Gaza, hundreds more rallied outside the United Nations headquarters waving anti-war banners. "Today we are facing a horrible war against humanity," Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said during cabinet meeting. "Unfortunately, the international community is not working on stopping this crazy acts of the Israeli occupation." An Israeli government spokeswoman said Israel took responsibility for the Qana attack and would investigate how it happened. "Israel deeply regrets, is greatly saddened by this attack on innocent civilians in Lebanon. Israel takes full responsibility and is going to start an open investigation to find out how this happened," said Israeli government spokesperson Miri Eisin. Several dozen Israelis protested in Tel Aviv and called on the Israeli government to cease the attacks. "Another 55 civilians dead, what for?" read one protester's banner as a group of demonstrators stood on Tel Aviv's main highway. In April 1996, Israeli shelling killed more than 100 civilians sheltering at the base of U.N. peacekeepers in the village during Israel's "Grapes of Wrath" bombing campaign.

ITN Source | July 30, 2006

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