3 Israelis Killed in South Lebanon Fighting as Army Readies Expanded Offensive
08 August 2006
Clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon killed three Israeli soldiers Tuesday, and wounded five others.
Israeli says its forces killed 15 Hezbollah guerrillas in fighting near the town of Bint Jbail. One of the Israelis killed Tuesday was fatally wounded by an antitank missile in the same region.
The two other Israelis killed, both members of a reserve troop unit, died near the village of Labuna in southwestern Lebanon.
Israel's defense minister Amir Peretz says he has ordered the military to prepare for expanded operations in southern Lebanon in case diplomacy fails to end fighting that began nearly four weeks ago on July 12. The next phase of the ground offensive would aim to seize control of all launch sites Hezbollah uses for the missiles it has fired at Israel.
Israel says it is offering "holiday packages" to 17,000 people who live near the border with Lebanon, in the communities that have been hit most often by Hezbollah's rockets. Israeli officials say this is not a mass evacuation, but an effort to help people in the war zone recover from the stress they face daily.
Cabinet Secretary Yisrael Maimon says the residents of northern Israel will be offered a stay of several days' duration at hotels elsewhere in Israel, at government expense.
Israeli warplanes pounded suspected Hezbollah positions Monday in southern Beirut, southern Lebanon, and eastern Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. The attacks killed at least 49 people, including more than 10 in a Beirut suburb.
The Israeli military also declared a curfew on the movement of vehicles in Lebanon south of the Litani River, starting Monday evening. Israel warned Lebanese civilians south of the river to remain indoors at night.
Three Israeli soldiers were also killed Monday in clashes around Bint Jbail.
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