Ground offensive ordered by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert

By Brendan Smith
brendansmith@transworldnews.com

The current ceasefire resolution being discussed by the United Nations will not meet the basic requirements necessary for Israel to end its campaign against Hezbollah and Lebanon according to an Israeli government spokesman. Israel has implored the United Nations to station combat-ready troops along the southern border of Lebanon to ensure Hezbollah militants won’t return. The UN’s failure to implement that basic requirement has led Israel to continue to its military offensive inside Lebanon.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert ordered Israeli ground forces to expand the offensive and capture all territory leading up to the Litani River, approximately 18 miles north of the border they share with Lebanon.

Israel has not ruled out diplomatic options to end the month long fighting but is unhappy with the changes that have been made to a discussed resolution. Saying the discussions have taken the appearance of “haggling at a Lebanese carpet shop” Israeli government spokesman Avi Pazner expressed dissatisfaction with alterations that favor Lebanon and ultimately Hezbollah.

Prior to the expanded ground offensive Israeli air raids on Hezbollah positions reportedly killed 14 people in Lebanon. A spokesman from Israel’s Foreign Ministry, Mark Regev, defended the attacks and emphasized his country’s goal “to deal with the Hezbollah positions in south Lebanon, from which barrages of missiles continue to be launched against the Israeli civilian population.”

The conflict to date has claimed over 1,000 Lebanese lives, the majority being civilians. Israel’s death toll has reached 120, mainly soldiers.