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Israel 'not ready for truce yet'
Israeli Defence Minister Amir Peretz has said that, despite a 48-hour halt to air strikes on south Lebanon, Israel cannot agree to an immediate ceasefire.
Mr Peretz told parliament that if the offensive stopped, "the extremists will rear their heads anew", allowing the threat they posed to quickly return.
Israel would expand and strengthen its attack, he said, ahead of cabinet talks on possibly broadening the offensive.
Israel has halted air raids to allow an inquiry into civilian deaths in Qana.
At least 54 people, many of them children, were killed in the town on Sunday when the house where they were sheltering was hit by Israeli war planes - the deadliest Israeli raid since hostilities began on 12 July.
Despite Israel's announcement of a suspension of air strikes, its war planes have again been in action in southern Lebanon, supporting ground troops involved in heavy fighting with Hezbollah militants.
Israel says it reserves the right to take action against targets if it believes its troops or civilians are under threat.
In other developments:
* New York-based group Human Rights Watch has accused Israel of committing war crimes by carrying out an indiscriminate bombing campaign in Lebanon
* Thousands of protesters in the Syrian capital Damascus have joined a demonstration against Israel's military offensive, with many of them declaring their support for Hezbollah
* Lebanon is observing a national day of mourning following the deaths in Qana, with many banks and public buildings closed
Mr Peretz described the temporary cessation of air strikes, which Israel says is to allow an investigation into the incident and give civilians trapped in the region a chance to escape, as a "humanitarian gesture".
Mr Peretz was interrupted by Arab members of the Israeli parliament many times as he addressed the special Knesset session.
UN resolution plan
The defence minister's comments came after US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the US would seek a UN resolution calling for a ceasefire this week.
Speaking after talks with Israeli officials in Jerusalem, Ms Rice said the US would call for UN Security Council action on a comprehensive settlement.
...
Ground battle
Meanwhile, fighting between Hezbollah militants and Israeli ground troops has been continuing in southern Lebanon.
The BBC's Richard Miron in the Israeli border town of Metulla says the Israeli military has been shelling targets in the Lebanese villages of Kila, Taibe and Adasya.
For their part Hezbollah militants have been firing rockets into Metulla.
Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate after the Qana air strike.
Lebanon's health minister says about 750 people - mainly civilians - have been killed by Israeli action.
A total of 51 Israelis, including at least 18 civilians, have been killed in the conflict.
More
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5230192.stm
Israel would expand and strengthen its attack, he said, ahead of cabinet talks on possibly broadening the offensive.
Israel has halted air raids to allow an inquiry into civilian deaths in Qana.
At least 54 people, many of them children, were killed in the town on Sunday when the house where they were sheltering was hit by Israeli war planes - the deadliest Israeli raid since hostilities began on 12 July.
Despite Israel's announcement of a suspension of air strikes, its war planes have again been in action in southern Lebanon, supporting ground troops involved in heavy fighting with Hezbollah militants.
Israel says it reserves the right to take action against targets if it believes its troops or civilians are under threat.
In other developments:
* New York-based group Human Rights Watch has accused Israel of committing war crimes by carrying out an indiscriminate bombing campaign in Lebanon
* Thousands of protesters in the Syrian capital Damascus have joined a demonstration against Israel's military offensive, with many of them declaring their support for Hezbollah
* Lebanon is observing a national day of mourning following the deaths in Qana, with many banks and public buildings closed
Mr Peretz described the temporary cessation of air strikes, which Israel says is to allow an investigation into the incident and give civilians trapped in the region a chance to escape, as a "humanitarian gesture".
Mr Peretz was interrupted by Arab members of the Israeli parliament many times as he addressed the special Knesset session.
UN resolution plan
The defence minister's comments came after US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the US would seek a UN resolution calling for a ceasefire this week.
Speaking after talks with Israeli officials in Jerusalem, Ms Rice said the US would call for UN Security Council action on a comprehensive settlement.
...
Ground battle
Meanwhile, fighting between Hezbollah militants and Israeli ground troops has been continuing in southern Lebanon.
The BBC's Richard Miron in the Israeli border town of Metulla says the Israeli military has been shelling targets in the Lebanese villages of Kila, Taibe and Adasya.
For their part Hezbollah militants have been firing rockets into Metulla.
Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate after the Qana air strike.
Lebanon's health minister says about 750 people - mainly civilians - have been killed by Israeli action.
A total of 51 Israelis, including at least 18 civilians, have been killed in the conflict.
More
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5230192.stm
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Peretz said in a speech to the Israeli parliament that Israel must not agree to an immediate ceasefire in the almost three-week long conflict, despite a decision on Sunday to observe a 48-hour halt in airstrikes in southern Lebanon.
The suspension followed a wave of protest from around the world over the bombing of a building in the southern town of Qana which killed more than 50 people, including more than 20 children.
But Israeli aircraft carried out raids in the Taibe area of southern Lebanon on Monday to support ground forces fighting Hezbollah guerrillas, the Israeli army said.
Also on Monday, one Lebanese soldier was also killed on Monday and three wounded by Israeli naval fire north of the port city of Tyre, police said.
Three Israeli soldiers were also wounded when Hezbollah fighters attacked two tanks with missiles near the Lebanese border town of Kila, the Israeli army said.
At least two rockets fired by Hezbollah fighters also hit an area near the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona, Israeli media reported.
More
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/820EE303-ADAB-44E7-AA4D-DFE985238B6C.htm