Early Sunday, jets destroyed a bridge near in the remote Akkar region
bordering Syria, wounding two people, television and security officials
reported. In the western Bekaa Valley, an Israeli drone fired a missile on a
Lebanese army vehicle, wounding two of its occupants, witnesses and security
officials said. Lebanese television LBC said a woman and her three children were
killed when a raid destroyed a building near the southern city of Tyre, but the
report could not be immediately confirmed.
The big expansion of Israel troop strength prompted Hezbollah's leader, Sheik
Hassan Nasrallah, to declare the fight far from finished and likely to get
worse.
"We must not make a mistake, not in the resistance, the government or the
people, and believe that the war has ended. The war has not ended," he said.
"Today nothing has changed and it appears tomorrow nothing will change,"
Nasrallah added in his trademark measured tones.
Speaking a few hours before Lebanon's Cabinet voted unanimously to accept the
U.N. plan, Nasrallah said Hezbollah would abide by the cease-fire resolution but
continue fighting as long as Israeli troops remained in Lebanon, calling it "our
natural right."
Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora said his Cabinet endorsed the cease-fire
plan despite having reservations. "We will deal with the requirements of the
resolution with realism in a way that serves the national interest," he said.
The Cabinet harshly condemned Israel's military push Saturday, saying it
presented a "flagrant challenge" to the international community after the U.N.
resolution was issued.
A senior Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was
not authorized to discuss sensitive issues publicly, said Israel wanted to seize
control of the south so more Hezbollah fighters do not enter the zone before it
is handed over to the Lebanese army and U.N. troops.
Defense Minister Amir Peretz said Israeli troops would remain until the
international force arrived, and would defend themselves if attacked.
"If anyone dares to use force against Israeli defense forces, we will see
this as a violation of the cease-fire agreement," he said on Israel television.
Israel's army chief, Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz, said ground forces had tripled in
size in a bid to chase Hezbollah fighters and rocket crews north of the Litani,
18 miles north of the border. He did not give a specific figure, but a threefold
increase would mean Israel had 30,000 soldiers inside Lebanon.
Lebanese security officials said Israel troops reached the Litani by
helicopter at a point about six miles west of the northern tip of the Israeli
panhandle that juts northward alongside southeastern Lebanon. The officials said
the troops were near the village of Aalmane, which sits on high ground on the
south side of the river.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not
authorized to speak to reporters, said the commandos cleared the area ahead of
the arrival of a column of Israeli armored vehicles.
