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Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice shakes hands with Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz, who said that Israel will expand its attack on Hizbollah. (AP)
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| By Israel Insider staff and partners July 31, 2006 |
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"Israel will expand and strengthen its activities against the Hezbollah," Defense Minister Amir Peretz told Israel's parliament, while Arab lawmakers repeatedly interrupted him with calls for an immediate cease-fire.
The army in general appeared to be observing a 48-hour halt in aerial strikes, although suppressive fire was used in support of ground forces near Taibe, and a mission was carried out near the Syrian border.
Several rockets fell on the north, shattering the quiet in the north that characterized the start of the day.
Israel's top ministers will discuss expanding the army's ground operation at a meeting later Monday, while thousands of reserve soldiers train for the possibility that they will be sent into Lebanon to participate in the 20-day-old battle, senior defense officials said.
"Israel will expand and strengthen its activities against the Hezbollah," Defense Minister Amir Peretz told Israel's parliament, while Arab lawmakers repeatedly interrupted him with calls for an immediate cease-fire.
"Under no circumstance will there be an unconditional and immediate cease-fire. There is no change in our resolve," Peretz told the Knesset plenum which convened for a special recess session to discuss the war in Lebanon, the Jerusalem Post reported.
It is unclear whether the senior ministers will approve a broader ground assault at their meeting Monday, the defense officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Rice ignores prisoners, Hezbollah in new "plan"
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Monday she will seek international consensus for a cease-fire and a "lasting settlement" in the conflict between Lebanon and Israel through a U.N. Security Council resolution this week.
"I am convinced that only by achieving both will the Lebanese people be able to control their country and their future, and the people of Israel finally be able to live free of attack from terrorist groups in Lebanon," Rice told reporters here before departing for Washington.
Rice's statement did not make any mention of the need to return the Israelis being held by Hezbollah or Hamas. Indeed the word Hezbollah did not even come up in her statement.
Rice's marathon effort at shuttle diplomacy was marked by frustration, but she did manage to win a suspension -- at least for now -- of the aerial bombing by Israel, which has killed and maimed scores of innocent Lebanese men, women and children.
The AP contributed to this report.
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