Israel's Attack on Lebanon and Hezbollah

[Sniper]

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Meanwhile on the other front (sorry if its been posted before, I havent seen it), Hamas has apparently agreed to a cease fire under the terms proposed by Egypt, which include the immediate return of Shalit in exchange for a commitment for the future release of PLO prisoners.

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Copernicus... if Hamas wanted to make a statement, they would release Shalit and stop firing rockets... it really is that simple... until that time, I certainly expect operations there to only increase.

[jokerthief]

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2. Israel wants to drive as far as 20 miles (32 kilometers) into southern Lebanon to end the threat of Hezbollah missiles hitting northern Israel. Such a military campaign might take weeks to accomplish.

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Conventional wisdom right about now is that the US is giving Israel 10-14 days before it starts to pressure a ceasefire. I think Israel is using talk of such a campaign for diplomatic leverage.

[Sniper]

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2. Israel wants to drive as far as 20 miles (32 kilometers) into southern Lebanon to end the threat of Hezbollah missiles hitting northern Israel. Such a military campaign might take weeks to accomplish.

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Conventional wisdom right about now is that the US is giving Israel 10-14 days before it starts to pressure a ceasefire. I think Israel is using talk of such a campaign for diplomatic leverage.

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The U.S. government is currently drafting a new Security Council resolution that will define the force's goals and powers. That resolution would replace Resolution 1559, which called for disarming Hezbollah and deploying the Lebanese army in the south. The new resolution will also call for Hezbollah's disarmament, but it is not clear who will enforce this provision.

The international force will be deployed in two stages: an intervention force that will arrive within 60 days, followed later by the main force. CNN, citing Lebanese sources, said that the force will initially comprise 10,000 Turkish and Egyptian soldiers, and will later expand to 30,000 troops from several countries.

[Yuv]

Hizbollah forces hiding in mosques and abandoned building in the city of Binat Jebil fired weapons and rockets at IDF forces. Unofficial reports here talk about at least 12 soldiers killed.

Sad day. The usage of mosques as military bases is despicable.

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In advance of Wednesday's Rome conference on the Hizbullah crisis, where there will inevitably be calls for Israel to withdraw from Har Dov (the Shaba Farms) as part of any international-backed arrangement in Lebanon, Israeli diplomatic officials said Tuesday there was nothing to talk about.

"This should not be part of the equation," one diplomatic official said.

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Iranian officials denied on Wednesday reports that Hizbullah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah had taken refuge in the Iranian embassy in Lebanon.

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The Home Front Command had begun enlisting reserve soldiers on Wednesday in order to bolster forces in central Israel.

This move may have been a response to Hizbullah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah's vow to begin firing rockets deeper into Israel, beyond the northern port of Haifa.

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IDF: 200 Hezbollah militants holed up in Bint Jbail (Israel Radio)

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Israel Troops Ignored UN Plea

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ROME, Italy (CNN) -- Talks in Rome on a plan for ending the 15-day-old conflict in Lebanon have failed to reach agreement barring a last-minute breakthrough, sources said.

With key Middle East players unable to reach consensus on a cease-fire and deployment of an international force, diplomats were trying to cobble together a face-saving statement, they said.

A U.S. official described Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as being "under siege" but holding firm any cessation of hostilities must include a permanent disarming of Lebanonese Hezbollah militants.