Israel starts 30km push in Lebanon By Peter Wilson and Martin Chulov
AS many as 20,000 Israeli troops were pouring into Lebanon last night after Israel ordered an advance of up to 30km in the most significant escalation yet of its offensive against Hezbollah.
Video: Olmert: conflict to continue
The push to the Litani River, 80km south of Beirut, began last night with troops backed by helicopters, fighter-bombers and artillery clashing fiercely with Hezbollah militants at four points along the Israel-Lebanon border.
Israeli defence chiefs said they would need up to two weeks to complete the campaign, and were racing to achieve their goals before the UN and international pressure demanded a ceasefire in southern Lebanon.
US President George W. Bush reiterated his staunch opposition to an immediate ceasefire yesterday, and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said a ceasefire was unlikely within “the coming days”.
“This is a unique opportunity to change the rules in Lebanon,” Mr Olmert said.
“We will no longer consent to Hezbollah returning to these positions and continuing to threaten to abduct soldiers and fire on northern communities.”
The new Israeli attacks came before the end of a promised 48-hour halt to its airstrikes, which had prompted an exodus of tens of thousands of civilians who had been too afraid to leave southern villages.
The Australian Government sent a convoy of vehicles to the port of Tyre to try to evacuate Australians trapped in the path of the Israeli advance. More than 20 had been picked up last night.
The Israeli cabinet said it had decided to double the number of ground forces devoted to the operation in Lebanon, but it was not clear how many troops would eventually be deployed.
Defence officials also suggested that when a ceasefire was eventually declared they would agree to swap two Lebanese prisoners for sergeants Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, whose capture by Hezbollah in a cross-border raid on July 12 triggered the Israeli offensive.
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