Israel will halt a widened ground offensive in south Lebanon if a resolution mulled by the United Nations Security Council meets Israel's demands, local newspaper Ha'aretz reported on its website on Friday.

A short while ago, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz gave a green light to the Israeli army to expand ground operations in Lebanon.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Olmert said that the widened ground offensive had already begun.

Citing Israeli security sources, Ha'aretz reported that the army would call off expanded advances if the UN Security Council resolution fulfilled the Israeli government's goals.

The report also said that the draft resolution calling for a ceasefire had failed to meet Israel's basic requirements.

The report cited Israeli government sources as saying that widening military operations could yield more favorable terms for Israel in the ceasefire resolution and that it became clear that progress toward a ceasefire was not as significant as it had been thought.

According to the report, the draft resolution over the Israel-Hezbollah conflict to be voted on by the UN Security Council later on Friday was significantly altered from Thursday's draft.

Under the revised version, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), currently in south Lebanon, will be authorized to enforce the ceasefire, said the report.

Israel, however, has called for a new robust international peacekeeping force in south Lebanon before withdrawing ground troops.

The Israeli security cabinet approved widening ground operations in south Lebanon on Wednesday.

The Israeli troops are expected to push to the Litani River, about 20 km inside Lebanon from the border with Israel, in a bid to remove Hezbollah rocket launchers used to fire rockets onto Israel.

About 10,000 Israeli troops are currently operating in south Lebanon and have exchanged heavy fire with the Lebanese Hezbollah guerillas.

The violence, which was triggered by the capture of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah on July 12, entered the 31st day on Friday, leaving over 1,000 Lebanese and some 120 Israelis dead.