That language may prove the fundamental deal-breaker for Hezbollah, whose
leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah vowed eight days into the conflict never to
release the two Israeli soldiers without a prisoner exchange even "if the whole
universe comes (against us)."
In the past two days, Hezbollah fired 365 rockets into Israel, including the
deepest strike of the conflict ! on Hadera, some 50 miles south of the border.
Six civilians were killed in the attacks.
Over the same period, Israel conducted as many as 170 airstrikes on targets
in Lebanon, killing at least 45 people.
The Israeli army also said Hezbollah has fired some 3,000 rockets into
northern Israel since fighting broke out July 12.
The U.N. peacekeeping force in the south of the country, known as UNIFIL,
reported what it called "intense shelling and exchanges on the ground" along the
common border. Israel has taken control of a band of territory a few miles deep
right across the frontier.
Israel has resumed nightly airstrikes on Hezbollah strongholds in south
Beirut, and on Friday struck in the Christian heartland north of the capital,
rocketing bridges and severing the last major road link to Syria and the outside
world.
In the most dramatic operation, Israeli commandos battled Hezbollah
guerrillas in a pre-dawn raid on an apartment building in the southern Lebanese
port city of Tyre. The raid was the latest Israeli commando operation deep
inside Lebanese territory aimed at taking out Hezbollah positions.
Both Israel and Hezbollah claimed victory in the Tyre battle ! with Israel
claiming it was "very successful" in taking out a key guerrilla unit involved in
firing long-range rockets into Israel ! including one that hit Hadera.
Lebanese military and rescue workers said at least five Lebanese ! including
a soldier at a nearby checkpoint ! were killed in the raid. The Israeli military
reported eight soldiers wounded, two seriously.
Israeli jets continued pounding targets late Saturday and early Sunday with
strikes near Tyre, southern market town of Nabatiyeh and two separate roads in
the north of the country, both of them leading to Syria.
So far, at least 575 people have died in the fighting in Lebanon including
497 civilians, 28 members of the army and 50 Hezbollah guerrillas. Added to the
total deaths were five Syrian farm workers killed in an Israel airstrike just
inside the Lebanese border in the Bekaa Valley whose deaths were not counted
when the attack occurred Friday. A total of seven civilians and one soldier were
killed Saturday. Three Syrian farm workers wounded in the Israeli airstrike also
died.
The Israeli military said late Saturday it had killed more than 400 Hezbollah
guerrillas since the fighting began.
Seventy-nine Israelis have died, including 46 soldiers and 33 civilians
killed by Hezbollah rockets. The latest deaths were three Israeli women in a
direct hit on a house in an Arab village and one Israeli soldier killed in
fighting with Hezbollah.