Israel significantly expanded its ground operation in south Lebanon yesterday, with troops taking on Hizbullah fighters in a series of villages along the border while government officials indicated that it would not agree to a ceasefire until an international peacekeeping force had been deployed.
Three Israeli soldiers were killed in fierce close-quarter fighting in the village of Ayta a-Shab, about a kilometre inside Lebanon. Military officials said that at least 20 Hizbullah fighters had been killed in several exchanges of fire some 3-6 km inside Lebanon.
Meanwhile, in Brussels, EU foreign ministers called for an immediate cessation of hostilities after talks which highlighted continued tensions between member states.
"The council calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities to be followed by a sustainable cease-fire," said the EU statement, which had to be rewritten after protests from a group of member states led by Britain, Germany and the Czech Republic.
As Israel said that it would resume full air strikes on Lebanon early this morning, Ephraim Sneh, a Labour Party parliamentarian and former deputy defence minister, said that the army might now push as far as the Litani River, some 30 km from the Israeli border. "This war must not end in a tie. The goals of this war cannot be achieved without using more force for a longer time," he said.
But with diplomatic pressure mounting on Israel to end its offensive - as well as on the US, which has backed the Israeli assault on Hizbullah - it is not clear the military will have that much time at its disposal.
Prime minister Ehud Olmert, who has rejected international calls for an immediate halt to hostilities, said he saw signs of movement towards a ceasefire and that Hizbullah had suffered heavy losses. "We are at the beginning of a political process that in the end will bring a ceasefire under entirely different conditions than before."
Meanwhile UN secretary general Kofi Annan urged major powers to patch up differences on the crisis and rescheduled a meeting of potential contributors to an international force for tomorrow.
Three civilians were killed and three wounded yesterday in an air strike southeast of Sidon, security sources said. Israeli artillery also hit targets near the towns of Marjayoun and Khiam, and five air strikes hit the Hizbullah stronghold of Baalbek.
"We have so far now about six efforts running inside Lebanon ...brigade size or even bigger than brigade size efforts in each one of them," Israeli Brig Gen Shuki Shahur said. An Israeli brigade usually has at least 1,000 soldiers.
At least 624 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Lebanon. The health minister put the toll at 750, including bodies buried under rubble. Some 54 Israelis have been killed, 36 of them soldiers.
France, tipped to lead an eventual peacekeeping force, said it must be bigger than the 10,000 troops suggested by Mr Annan, be sufficiently well-armed and have precise guidelines when it comes to opening fire. Italy, Finland, Poland, Sweden and Spain are all also considering sending peacekeepers. EU candidate Turkey and Indonesia have also said they may provide troops if there is a peace to keep. Several Latin American states may also send troops. Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern said that Ireland would consider such a request following a UN mandate.
Ministers meeting in Brussels said that so far the European Commission and EU states had committed €56 million and pledged an extra €52 million for relief efforts. Ireland will double its aid with a further €1 million, Minister of State Conor Lenihan said.