Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz said yesterday that the Israeli army
would press ahead its massive offensive against Lebanon's Hezbollah until the
Shiite group was disbanded, southern Lebanon was demilitarized and two captive
soldiers were freed.
Peretz also told the Knesset (Parliament) that the diplomatic process should
go hand in hand with the military campaign, which could not stand alone.
"All the preparations for the army's operations in southern Lebanon are
carried out with an eye to maximizing the precious time left," he said.
The Israeli defense minister said on Monday that the Israeli army would
broaden ground operations in Lebanon in the coming days if diplomatic efforts
failed to make progress toward an end to the fighting.
"I have issued an order to the forces to prepare for operations needed to
take over the (Hezbollah) rocket launching sites everywhere in Lebanon," Peretz
told a committee in the Knesset.
Also on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Peretz met with Israel
Defense Forces Chief of Staff Dan Halutz and other senior military and
intelligence officials, who proposed a plan for taking control of areas used by
Hezbollah to fire short-range rockets.
Under the plan, the Israeli army will control the area south of Lebanon's
Litani River, about 20 km from the Lebanese border with Israel.
The military officials also suggested an operation north of the Litani River
to take over Hezbollah rocket launching sites.
Violence erupted on July 12 when Lebanon's Hezbollah guerillas kidnapped two
Israeli soldiers and killed eight during cross-border attacks.
The international community has stepped up calls for a ceasefire between
Israel and Hezbollah to end the 28 days of fighting.
