LEBANON: Israeli air raids struck at Hizbollah-controlled areas of Lebanon for ninth day of a bombardment that has killed more than 300 people

Israeli air raids struck at Hizbollah-controlled areas of Lebanon on Thursday (July 20), the ninth day of a bombardment that has killed more than 300 people, as a token force of U.S. Marines landed to help evacuate Americans. Israel, which has bombed roads, bridges, ports, airports and factories across Lebanon, is under pressure not to endanger escape routes for the foreigners pouring out by land and sea. Instead, its aircraft struck mostly at Shi'ite strongholds in the eastern towns of Baalbek and Hermel, the southern Beirut area of Bir al-Abed and Khiam in southern Lebanon. In Southern Beirut, Hizbollah invited Lebanese, Arab and foreign journalists to tour the residential areas of Beer al Abed and Haret Hreik, which had been bombed by Israeli jets. Hizbollah's al-Manar television broadcast images on Thursday (July 20), of weapons which it claimed were seized from Israeli forces. The group's television channel showed captured Israeli equipment, including a rifle, night-vision binoculars, grenades and a video camera. Elite Israeli troops have launched small raids inside Lebanon in recent days to try to destroy Hizbollah positions and stop guerrillas firing rockets into the Jewish state. Israel launched its offensive after Hizbollah captured two soldiers and killed eight in a cross-border raid on July 12. It has rejected the guerrilla group's proposal for a prisoner swap. Israel's strikes in Lebanon has coincided with a major push into the Gaza Strip to retrieve another soldier, seized by Palestinian gunmen on June 25 and stop cross-border rocket fire.

ITN Source | July 21, 2006

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