BOOFER
07-21-2006, 10:16 AM
Can you say $5 a gallon?
Israel warns Lebanese to flee
By Alistair Lyon, Special Correspondent
Israel warned Lebanese civilians to leave border villages on Friday and called up 3,000 reserves in a possible prelude to a ground offensive that would expand its 10-day-old campaign against Hizbollah guerrillas.
Israel has so far failed to stop Hizbollah cross-border rocket attacks, despite relentless bombardment which has killed 344 people and destroyed much of Lebanon's infrastructure.
Hizbollah rockets crashed into the northern Israeli city of Haifa, wounding 19 people. Other towns were also hit.
Israeli planes dropped leaflets over south Lebanon warning civilians to flee for safety north of the Litani river, about 20 km (13 miles) from the frontier.
An estimated 300,000 mostly Shi'ite Muslim Lebanese normally reside south of the Litani. There was no word on how many have already fled the bombing and fighting of the past few days. Air raids have wrecked many roads and bridges in the region.
An Israeli military source said the army had told 3,000 reserves to report for duty. The call-up came a day after Defense Minister Amir Peretz spoke of a possible land offensive.
Elite Israeli troops have been launching small-scale raids in Lebanon to try to stop Hizbollah rocket attacks. But Israel has been wary of launching a full-scale invasion, only six years after it ended a costly 22-year occupation of the south.
It first invaded Lebanon in 1978, pushing up to the Litani to try to drive Palestinian guerrillas from the border.
Lebanon's defense minister said the army, which has not fought so far despite losing a score of soldiers in Israeli air strikes, would defend the country against invasion.
The United Nations and many of its members have called for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon, but the United States says this would not solve the conflict unless Hizbollah, which is backed by Syria and Iran, is prevented from attacking Israel.
Israel warns Lebanese to flee
By Alistair Lyon, Special Correspondent
Israel warned Lebanese civilians to leave border villages on Friday and called up 3,000 reserves in a possible prelude to a ground offensive that would expand its 10-day-old campaign against Hizbollah guerrillas.
Israel has so far failed to stop Hizbollah cross-border rocket attacks, despite relentless bombardment which has killed 344 people and destroyed much of Lebanon's infrastructure.
Hizbollah rockets crashed into the northern Israeli city of Haifa, wounding 19 people. Other towns were also hit.
Israeli planes dropped leaflets over south Lebanon warning civilians to flee for safety north of the Litani river, about 20 km (13 miles) from the frontier.
An estimated 300,000 mostly Shi'ite Muslim Lebanese normally reside south of the Litani. There was no word on how many have already fled the bombing and fighting of the past few days. Air raids have wrecked many roads and bridges in the region.
An Israeli military source said the army had told 3,000 reserves to report for duty. The call-up came a day after Defense Minister Amir Peretz spoke of a possible land offensive.
Elite Israeli troops have been launching small-scale raids in Lebanon to try to stop Hizbollah rocket attacks. But Israel has been wary of launching a full-scale invasion, only six years after it ended a costly 22-year occupation of the south.
It first invaded Lebanon in 1978, pushing up to the Litani to try to drive Palestinian guerrillas from the border.
Lebanon's defense minister said the army, which has not fought so far despite losing a score of soldiers in Israeli air strikes, would defend the country against invasion.
The United Nations and many of its members have called for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon, but the United States says this would not solve the conflict unless Hizbollah, which is backed by Syria and Iran, is prevented from attacking Israel.