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An artillery gunner faces Lebanon from northern Israel, with smoke from burning fires caused by incoming Katyusha rockets. (AP)
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| By Israel Insider staff and partners July 24, 2006 |
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Heavy fighting erupted Monday as Israeli ground forces pushed further into Lebanon, entering another Hezbollah stronghold. An officer and a soldier were killed, and 14 soldiers were wounded, most lightly. 5 were injured from "friendly fire."
Hezbollah fired more than 100 rockets at northern Israel, wounding 8 lightly. Israeli troops seized a hilltop in the Lebanese town of Bint Jbail after a heavy artillery barrage, but the IDF has not taken control of the town yet.
Nearly constant gunfire and explosions could be heard in southern Lebanon from the Israeli side of the border, and large plumes of gray smoke rose over the area.
Several Israeli tanks and armored bulldozers were seen heading toward the battle, but two tanks also traversed the rocky hills at high speed, crossing back into Israel to carry wounded soldiers out. The wounded were taken to civilian ambulances, which sped off toward hospitals with sirens blaring.
Ten IDF soldiers -- including a senior officer -- were evacuated to Rambam Hospital in Haifa and to Ziv Hospital in Safed, with wounds ranging from light to moderate.
The military said it captured two Hezbollah guerrillas, and Israeli media said attacks by Israel's air force had caused some Hezbollah casualties.
Bint Jbail, a major town, is about 2 kilometers (1.25 miles) north of the hilltop village of Maroun al-Ras, another Hezbollah center which the IDF took after fierce fighting over the weekend. That town is less than 500 yards from the border.
The army said it was expanding its ground operation in Lebanon, which had been limited during the two-week offensive to pinpoint operations near the border -- a policy that military analysts said may well be insufficient to achieve Israel's goal of pushing Hezbollah back and destroying its ability to attack Israel.
"The scope continues to grow in recent days," Brig. Gen. Alon Friedman told Israel Army Radio. "We are advancing."
Friedman said the operation would continue for up to 10 days "in order to achieve the basic goals we set down," including trying to stop Hezbollah rocket fire.
The Israeli military said that during the past 24 hours its planes had hit more than 270 targets across Lebanon, including 21 missile launchers, more than 50 Hezbollah buildings and Hezbollah communication lines.
The army said it captured two Hezbollah guerrillas, the first it had taken any into custody during the fighting. "When the enemy surrenders, we take them prisoner. The two prisoners are located in Israel and will be held here with the aim of interrogating them," said Friedman.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was traveling to the Middle East on Monday to discuss the crisis with officials. She met Monday night with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and will meet on Tuesday with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
More than 80 rockets fired by Hezbollah terrorists reportedly hit Israel on Monday, bringing the total number of rockets fired to over 2500.
Major fires ignited by rockets and artillery are destroying forests on both sides of the Lebanon-Israel border.
On Sunday 95 rockets were fired into Israel, killing two people in the city of Haifa, the military said.
Israel launched its operation in Lebanon after Hezbollah guerrillas killed three soldiers and captured two others in a cross-border raid on July 12.
Hezbollah leaders had demanded that Israel release Palestinian and Hezbollah prisoners to win freedom for the two captured Israeli soldiers. Israel has ruled out talks, demanding the unconditional return of its soldiers, but it has negotiated such exchanges in the past.
At least 381 people have been killed in Lebanon, including 20 soldiers and 11 Hezbollah fighters, according to security officials. Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese have fled their homes.
Israel's death toll stands at 37, with 17 people killed by Hezbollah rockets and 22 soldiers killed in the fighting. Sixty-eight soldiers have been wounded, and 255 civilians injured by rocket fire, officials said.
The AP contributed to this report.
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