Israeli air strike kills 54

[MaNgO_gIrL_hErE]

An Israeli air strike killed at least 54 Lebanese civilians, including 37 children, in the southern village of Qana today, police said. It was the bloodiest single attack during Israel's 19-day-old war on Hezbollah.

The attack prompted the Lebanese government to cancel a planned visit to Beirut by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said he would hold no negotiations before a ceasefire and officials said they had told Rice to stay away from Beirut until the fighting stopped.

Siniora denounced "Israeli war criminals". He demanded an immediate, unconditional ceasefire and an international investigation into "Israeli massacres".

The air strike, whose target was not immediately clear, occurred as Rice was in Jerusalem on a mission to persuade Israel and Lebanon to agree on an international force to deploy on the border.

Israel's offensive in Lebanon will continue, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told his cabinet today. Israel's air force was unaware that civilians were sheltering in the building, the military chief said.

Mothers embraced their dead children in shock today as rescue workers tackled the rubble and dust of buildings flattened by the raids.

Rescue workers using only their bare hands searched through piles of debris - all the Israeli raids left behind of the buildings - while distraught women joined in to retrieve the bodies and take them away.

A three-storey building in Qana where dozens of displaced civilians were sheltering and several other houses were destroyed in the dawn raid, killing many people in their sleep.

Lebanese Red Cross officials in Beirut said rescuers had extracted 38 bodies from the devastated buildings, including 23 children, and seven wounded. At least 17 more bodies were feared to be still under the rubble, seven of them children.

Red Cross workers covered the corpse of one dead child with a blanket. A woman in a red-patterned dress lay crumpled and lifeless in the broken masonry. A leg poked out from the rubble nearby. Another child lay dead in the street.

Distraught people in Qana screamed in grief and anger amid wrecked buildings as others scrabbled at slabs of concrete with their hands to try to reach people buried in the debris.

Israel's military said it had warned residents of Qana to leave and said Hezbollah bore responsibility for using it to fire rockets at the Jewish state.

Among the buildings hit in the two hours of raids on the southern village of Qana was a shelter where dozens had fled to escape Israeli bombardment of areas thought to be even more exposed.

"After the bombardment there was dust everywhere. We couldn't see anything. I succeeded in getting out and everything collapsed. I have several members of the family inside and I do not think there will be any other survivors," said a distraught Ibrahim Shalhoub, 26.

"The bombing was so intense that no one could move. Rescue efforts could only start this morning," said the man, one of just five people believed to have survived the strike on the shelter.

The bodies of 22 children were among those recovered from under the rubble of dozens of buildings which collapsed after the bombardment, said Salam Daher, the civil defence chief in the region.

"I retrieved my son and my husband, Sheikh Mohamad, who were wounded. But when I came back to get my daughter who had stayed in the shelter, it was too late because the building had crumpled," cried a woman identified as Rahba.

Terrified mothers held up and then embraced the bodies of their dead children, still wearing the pyjamas they had gone to sleep in. The bodies were covered in dust.

In Israel, the military rejected responsibility for civilian deaths in Qana, saying the Shiite militant Hezbollah was to blame for using the village as a rocket-launching site.

"The Hezbollah used the village of Qana as a base to launch rockets and it bears responsibility that this area is a combat zone," army spokesman Jacob Dalal told AFP.

"There was a first bombardment at 1am (0800 AEST)," said resident Ghazi Aaidibi. "A few people went out of the shelter and about 10 minutes later a second bombardment destroyed it. There were 63 people inside, from the Shalhub and Hashem families."

Rescue operations had to stop in the morning over fears that the final storey of the building was about to collapse.

We will not stop offensive: Olmert

Israel's offensive in Lebanon will continue despite the bombing of Qana, Israeli Prime Minister Olmert told his cabinet.

"We will not blink in front of Hezbollah and we will not stop the offensive despite the difficult circumstances. It is the right thing to do," the Ynet website quoted Olmert as saying.

"Hezbollah, like all Islamic terror, threatens all Western civilisation. When we decided to respond, we knew we would face tough situations. We will get through them and we will win."

Earlier, Olmert said his country was "in no rush" for a ceasefire, and Israeli forces thrust across the border sparking new clashes with Hezbollah guerrillas.

Israeli warplanes struck Qana only hours after Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah threatened to rocket more cities in central Israel if attacks on Lebanon continued.

"There are many cities in central Israel which will come into target range ... if the barbaric aggression on our country and people continues," he said yesterday.

Israel's air force was unaware that civilians were sheltering in a building it bombed in Qana, the military chief said.

"We did not know of the whereabouts of civilians in the village," Lieutenant-General Dan Halutz was quoted as saying by the NRG Maariv website after meeting President Moshe Katsav.

A senior air force commander said a precision-guided bomb was dropped on a home in Qana on the assumption that it was sheltering Hezbollah crews that had fired several volleys of missiles into northern Israel.

"Had we known there were that many civilians inside, especially women and children, we certainly would not have attacked it," the commander told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

Asked how Israel's intelligence services could know about missile launches from Qana but not about the presence of dozens of civilians, the commander said: "We are capable of detecting missile launches because they are very dynamic."

By contrast, he said the civilians appeared to have been holed up in the building for days, and were therefore almost impossible for aerial surveillance systems to discern.

According to the officer, Hezbollah launched scores of missiles from Qana into Israel, including one that hit a hospital. He said several of the launched took place within a few dozens metres of the house that was bombed.

Halutz indicated that despite international outcry over the Qana killings, Israel would pursue its 19-day-old campaign against Hizbollah until the cross-border missile salvoes ended.

"We will continue to fight and residents of northern (Israel) will receive quiet and calm. It will take more time but it will happen," NRG quoted him as saying.

Raid described as massacre

Lebanese television stations described the raid on Qana as a massacre. The village is already a potent symbol of Lebanese civilian deaths at the hands of Israel's military.

In April 1996, Israeli shelling killed more than 100 civilians sheltering at the base of UN peacekeepers in Qana during Israel's "Grapes of Wrath" bombing campaign.

At least 523 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and 51 Israelis have been killed in the conflict that erupted after Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid on July 12.

Israeli soldiers killed five Hezbollah guerrillas today during a new ground incursion into southern Lebanon, a military spokeswoman said.

She said tanks and troops exchanged fire with Hizbollah squads after crossing the border at the Israeli village of Metula in a search for guerrillas hideouts and rocket launchers.

Confirming a major new incursion into Lebanon, the Israeli military said tanks and troops had rolled across the border at Metula, under cover artillery fire and air strikes, to try to find and destroy Hezbollah rocket launchers.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said at least one soldier had been wounded in fighting, in which she said Hezbollah had also suffered casualties. Hezbollah reported fierce clashes.

Before Lebanon cancelled her visit, Rice had said she hoped for a deal on ceasefire terms to be outlined in a UN Security Council resolution that may be presented as early as Tuesday.

After meeting Olmert in the evening, Rice held talks with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni today. She had been expected to meet Siniora in Beirut later in the day.

Israel's Haaretz newspaper quoted defence sources as saying the army had orders to accelerate its offensive, assuming it had another seven to 10 days before it had to stop fighting.

As the recovery efforts continued, Israeli jets continued to launch sporadic raids around the outskirts of Qana.

Today's blistering air assault on the village came as Israeli forces made a new ground incursion into Lebanon and were engaged in fierce battles with Hezbollah guerrillas in the southeastern border area, Lebanese police said.

Meanwhile Lebanon's main international border crossing was closed, a day after Israeli warplanes targeted the road to Syria, further increasing the country's isolation, an AFP correspondent at the scene said.

Heavy bombs had gouged out large craters on the road leading to the Syrian border at Masnaa in eastern Lebanon, he said.

Australia asked to join UN force

Australia has been invited by the United Nations to contribute to a planned international peacekeeping force for southern Lebanon, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer says.

Australia is yet to decide whether it would join the force, but Mr Downer said any contribution would be "very limited".

The US Secretary of State, Dr Rice, has asked Australia to be part of an international force which would move into the war-torn region once a ceasefire is negotiated.

But while the Federal Government is considering a peace-keeping role, the Opposition says it should focus first on securing a cease fire in the conflict.

About 600 people have died in three weeks of fighting between Israeli troops and Hezbollah guerillas.

Australian officials will attend a meeting at the United Nations in New York tomorrow to work out details of a peacekeeping plan.

Mr Downer appears wary of extending Australian overseas military commitments beyond current operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, East Timor and Solomon Islands.

"I discussed the issue with Condi Rice and she was very enthusiastic about there being some sort of an Australian contribution, though I told her that would inevitably be a very limited one if that were to happen," Mr Downer told the Nine Network.

Any peacekeeping force would need to be of at least 10,000 troops, and have the full political backing of both Israel and Lebanon, he said.

The UN asked Australia to be represented at tomorrow's meeting in New York - and the US urged it to attend, too - to discuss the possible makeup of the peace-keeping force, Mr Downer said.

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) deputy secretary David Ritchie and the Vice Chief of the Australian Defence Force, Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie, will attend the meeting.

Mr Downer stressed that a decision on joining a peace-keeping operation was "a long way off".

The defence lobby group, the Australia Defence Association, said the most the ADF could spare would be a company of troops - about 120 personnel.

Executive director Neil James said the force would require battle-ready troops, backed by armoured vehicles, in an operation to disarm Hezbollah.

"We're already quite stretched. The type of forces we'd have to send would be forces capable of high intensity battle," Mr James said.

"It won't be a peace-keeping operation because there's no peace to keep."

Prime Minister John Howard and Defence Minister Brendan Nelson have said Australia stands ready to contribute.

Mr Downer said Australia was not "putting up our hand" for the operation, but the US, the UN and others recognised the ADF as one of the world's most effective.

Labor said the Government's policy on sending troops to Lebanon was in disarray, however, and it should be focusing on securing a ceasefire.

"If an Australian government is going to send our men and women in uniform into a war zone, for God's sake, can they please get their policy straight," opposition foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd said.

"The Government doesn't really understand that it's putting the cart before the horse. The first step is a ceasefire and the second is the putting together of a multinational peace-keeping force."

Dr Rice has said she hopes for agreement on conditions for a ceasefire to be outlined in a UN resolution that could be tabled as early as Tuesday.

Source

[AROCES]

Sad as it is, isn't it suppose to be that Hezbollah is their protector from Israel? The question is, "HOW COULD HAVE HEZBOLLAH ALLOWED THESE CHILDERN TO BE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BATTLEFIELD, THEIR MAIN RESPONSIBILITY IS TO PROTECT THEM, RIGHT???"

[Mekorig]

Has far i know, the building was beign used for refugges to sleep while they go north of the zone, and was not in the middle of the actual battleground, what is south from there.

[Cinders]

I came acrossed this video - it is on YouTube while reading a website:

Read this article as well from Link below.. (I believe many members that write are from Lebanon or are in Lebanon) This particular article is called:

The sad truth about Hezbollah tactics…

[IronGhost]

Whatever the case, this thing is spinning dangeously out of control. World War III looms.

[AROCES]

Has far i know, the building was beign used for refugges to sleep while they go north of the zone, and was not in the middle of the actual battleground, what is south from there.

Well, Hezbollah then did not get them far enough and should be the one responsible for their safety, NOT THEIR ENEMY

Edited July 31, 2006 by AROCES

[Cinders]

I uploaded a bit of the BBC news we watched today via the PBS station from TV. This is over 17 minutes.. Youtube only allows 10 minutes.

I uploaded a portion of it here on Youtube..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acEv1MYtMQk

The WHOLE news bit found here:

http://www.dailymotion.com/CindyPDX/video/...more-news-today

I can see Blair is getting very frustrated with this (finally) He wants this to stop NOW ... Bush as usual makes me want to puke.. All I know is something MUST BE DONE ABOUT THIS NOW NOT TOMORROW- NOW!!! I am tired of the slow process the world leaders are taking on this issue while the women and children are dying in this war!

Edited July 31, 2006 by Cinders

[Avinash_Tyagi]

Well, Hezbollah then did not get them far enough and should be the one responsible for their safety, NOT THEIR ENEMY

Maybe Isreal shouldn't attack building where children are taking refuge? Israel is just as responsible as hezbollah for this butchery

Edited July 31, 2006 by Avinash_Tyagi

[AROCES]

Maybe Isreal shouldn't attack building where children are taking refuge? Israel is just as responsible as hezbollah for this butchery

Israel don't seek children and bomb them, Hezbollah on the other hand lure Israel to fire on the civilians. The truth of the matter is it is meant for the MEDIA! For people like yourself, see how it works?

[Avinash_Tyagi]

Israel don't seek children and bomb them, Hezbollah on the other hand lure Israel to fire on the civilians. The truth of the matter is it is meant for the MEDIA! For people like yourself, see how it works?

Are you willingly ignorant? Israel fired on the building, they didn't have to fire when they did (they could have waited to confirm who was in there), if they're dumb enough to to be lured by Hezbollah then they deserve all the negative press they get

[Shuriken]

Israel don't seek children and bomb them, Hezbollah on the other hand lure Israel to fire on the civilians. The truth of the matter is it is meant for the MEDIA! For people like yourself, see how it works?

Ofcourse Israel is responsible. Israel destroyed the building, not Hezbollah.

And you just keep repeating the same nonsense that Israel spokesman use for their excuse. If they know that Hezbollah tactics are such, and that they use civilian houses to fire rockets, then they should NOT USE THE SHELLING. Its like firing a ICBM in to a supermarket cuz some thief has stolen a watch and now is hiding there...Use the ground troops...

Edited July 31, 2006 by Fluffybunny

[__Kratos__]

Are you willingly ignorant? Israel fired on the building, they didn't have to fire when they did (they could have waited to confirm who was in there), if they're dumb enough to to be lured by Hezbollah then they deserve all the negative press they get

As they said they warned all civillians to get the hell out. The strikes on their country days and days before kind of pointed to that being serious.

Perhaps, Lebanon shouldn't have supported Hizbollah and let them grow within their borders all these years.

I'm watching the Israeli video right now on the early morning ABC news that is showing clearly that Hizbollah was firing rockets from that area of town.

The blood spilled is resting on Hizbollah's actions.

What would you rather have Israel do? Just sit there and take their rockets and kidnappings?

Ofcourse Israel is responsible. Israel destroyed the building, not Hezbollah.

And you just keep repeating the same nonsense that Israel spokesman use for their excuse. If they know that Hezbollah tactics are such, and that they use civilian houses to fire rockets, then they should NOT USE THE SHELLING. Its like firing a ICBM in to a supermarket cuz some thief has stolen a watch and now is hiding there...Use the ground troops...

Hizbollah has been firing rockets from that area of town though.

Why should the Israelis put more of their troops in danger when Lebanon supported Hizbollah all these years? Lebanon was suppose to crack down on the idiots but didn't happen.

This is a lot different then firing on a theif... Now if the theif was firing military rockets towards innocent civillians on purpose...

[Moon Monkey]

Ofcourse Israel is responsible. Israel destroyed the building, not Hezbollah.

And you just keep repeating the same nonsense that Israel spokesman use for their excuse. If they know that Hezbollah tactics are such, and that they use civilian houses to fire rockets, then they should NOT USE THE SHELLING. Its like firing a ICBM in to a supermarket cuz some thief has stolen a watch and now is hiding there...Use the ground troops...

So what you are saying is that as Hezbollah use their own civillians/families as shields Israel should use more ground forces? Isn't that exactly what Hezbollah want? Opportunity to ambush and kill more soldiers in well prepared killing zones, any military commander has a responsibility to minimise the risks to his troops and this is even more true in a conscript army.

Seems to me to be a battle of wills between Hezbollah being willing to sacrifice civillians and Israel being willing to kill them although, of course, Israel is forced to blink first by the international community. Its a good tactic for Hezbollah as their fighters will be more inclined to fight to the death if they know their families are at risk close by and if they are killed it is propaganda coup.

According to Al Jazeera this morning (numbers may change we will have to wait and see exactly what happened when the dust settles) around 50-60 died in Qana. Around 35-40 of these were children, about 12-15 women and a number of old people. The first question is where were all the menfolk? The second question is what were they still doing there? The reply you usually get is that they either can't afford the trip (profiteering?) or that Israelis are 'shooting everything that moves'. I have seen a number of cars seemingly targetted but according to Lebanons own figures over 700,000 have managed to head north hardly everything that moved.

Mekorig, refugees heading north on a stop-over? Qana is about 6/7 miles north of the Israeli border and still further south than Tyre and the surrounding villages that took a hammering last week, even at old man walking speed, presuming they originally lived on the border, 7 miles in 19 days?

http://www.un.org/depts/Cartographic/map/other/blueline.pdf

History is repeating itself.According to the UN eye-witness report of the 'massacre' at Qana in 1996 exactly the same thing happened. Rockets were fired from a number of positions just outside the UN compound then 4-5 fighters ran into the compound and mingled with their famillies as the Israelis triangulated where the rockets came from. They don't care as they have 40 virgins waiting for them, although I am not sure how their famillies fit into that party.

Edited July 31, 2006 by Moon Monkey

[Shuriken]

Why should the Israelis put more of their troops in danger

Israeli military is exactly what it is, a MILITARY. They knew that in a war they could die. And they get paid for it. The civilian on the other hand have not joined any military force. Why should they suffer?

any military commander has a responsibility to minimise the risks to his troops

well then why not nuke the whole Lebanon, it would be much cheaper, no Israeli soldiers would die for no good reason. The lebanese deserve that, after all, they support the force that was/is defending them from the israelis...

[__Kratos__]

Israeli military is exactly what it is, a MILITARY. They knew that in a war they could die. And they get paid for it. The civilian on the other hand have not joined any military force. Why should they suffer?

Being a military, why should they send their troops into Hizbollah areas? The amount of rockets and attacks from them since have shown a clear sign of months of planning, so you can be sure Hizbollah set up for a group attack as well.

Also, just because they're military doesn't mean they want to die.

Maybe the Lebanon military should have taken care of Hizbollah years ago instead of forcing Israel into doing it?

[Moon Monkey]

Israeli military is exactly what it is, a MILITARY. They knew that in a war they could die. And they get paid for it. The civilian on the other hand have not joined any military force. Why should they suffer?

well then why not nuke the whole Lebanon, it would be much cheaper, no Israeli soldiers would die for no good reason. The lebanese deserve that, after all, they support the force that was/is defending them from the israelis...

The Israeli army is mainly 18-21 year old kids (boys and girls) FORCED to fight to defend their country, I am sure 99% would like to be at university or travelling the world. They get paid pocket money of around $100 a month. The rest are guys with famillies and jobs who have to give up a month a year to the army due to the ongoing security problems. They are all civillians ! Are Hezbollah civillians? Israels professional, full time army is smaller in manpower (not firepower) than Lebanons.

Nuke the whole of Lebanon? Now you are being silly, that would destroy the entire region not just Hezbollah, if the civillians/non-combatants would leave as advised then conventional bombing would suffice (as Hezbollah and their supporters know, hence they aren't leaving). Why have I never heard you call for disarming Hezbollah surely thats the easiest answer to the problem? Because they 'defend them from the Israelis' ? Defend them from what? 4 violations of airspace in 6 years? You have got to either be a bit thick, joking, on a wind up or so biased in your view of the situation that opinions like yours have to be ignored by anyone objective.

Why do YOU think there were few menfolk in that building?

Why do YOU think these people haven't left the area?

Edited July 31, 2006 by Moon Monkey

[user39142]

whether hezbollah planned this or not,israeli army should not act like they are acting now !

Israel just wanted nice target to spend some rockets,cause thats what rockets are for they mean nothin' if they are not fired.They are allways like...got one soldier killed,then kill 100 civilians.It was also the case with palestinians.That region will never be peacefull because of curse of israeli people,who will pay for betraying the Christ.Stop bombing Liban you ******g hommicidal maniacs !

[Shuriken]

Why do YOU think there were few menfolk in that building?

YOU don't have to YOU me ok....

And, what exactly are u saying? Are u telling that Hezbollah purposely put those civilians in that building, cuz like they new that it will be hit by a Israeli missile? If so, than thats as biased as u can get...

Why do YOU think these people haven't left the area?

Cuz they were like sleeping in this refugee shelter...

The Israeli army is mainly 18-21 year old kids (boys and girls) FORCED to fight to defend their country, I am sure 99% would like to be at university or travelling the world. They get paid pocket money of around $100 a month. The rest are guys with famillies and jobs who have to give up a month a year to the army due to the ongoing security problems. They are all civillians ! Are Hezbollah civillians?

Have u even seen a death toll? Israel has killed MOSTLY civilians. And i guess there is the irony. Hezbollah is suppose to target only civilians, but till now in these weeks, they have killed mainly israeli soldiers. Israel should be targeting Hezbollah, but it seems like they are not up for the task.

Why have I never heard you call for disarming Hezbollah surely thats the easiest answer to the problem?

why would they want to disarm a organization, that helped to get rid of Israeli occupation some years ago?

Nuke the whole of Lebanon? Now you are being silly, that would destroy the entire region not just Hezbollah

I was just speaking ironically about ur way of thinking...

[bathory]

this is what hezbollah does

goes into a nice little town, shoots their rockets into israeli towns trying to score as many hits on israeli civilians and to provoke a response from israel.

Israel responds by shelling the area that hezbollah fired from, civilians die because the hezbollah terrorists are firing their rockets out of civilian areas. Civilians die, and Hezbollah cries out in righteous indignation as though they bear no responsibility whatsoever.

god the filth of the muslim world makes the worst of the worst in the west look positively pure and golden.

[Moon Monkey]

YOU don't have to YOU me ok....

And, what exactly are u saying? Are u telling that Hezbollah purposely put those civilians in that building, cuz like they new that it will be hit by a Israeli missile? If so, than thats as biased as u can get...

Cuz they were like sleeping in this refugee shelter...

Have u even seen a death toll? Israel has killed MOSTLY civilians. And i guess there is the irony. Hezbollah is suppose to target only civilians, but till now in these weeks, they have killed mainly israeli soldiers. Israel should be targeting Hezbollah, but it seems like they are not up for the task.

why would they want to disarm a organization, that helped to get rid of Israeli occupation some years ago?

I was just speaking ironically about ur way of thinking...

I just wanted to know how YOU explained these things away rather than answering questions with questions. And you haven't or can't.

Refugee shelter? In Qana? 6 miles from Israeli border 19 days into the war? Where rockets are being fired from? After repeated warnings to leave and what happened in 1996?

If Hezbollah fire from a place which they know civillians to be then they are putting the civillians at risk due to triangulation of the response. It is not a surprise that Israel target the spot where the rockets came from, I am not saying it is right but it is a fact.

Do you have figures on Hezzbollah fighter and supporter casulties? (supporter meaning they hold weapons, provide hideouts, supplies, allow fire from their houses etc. ) as until the dust settled you are simply guessing who is making up the death toll. Latest figures were 500+ civillians and no Hezzbollah fighters or supporters, which seems strange as we are told they have almost 100% support in the south.

Isreal have emptied the north of the country, the S.Lebanese are obviously not emptying their side of the border in the same manner. I repeat, 19 days of battle and these people sat in the middle of the battlefield...I ask you again to explain why they are still there and where their menfolk are.

Why would they want to disarm? That depends, as you say they helped get rid of Israeli occupation 6 years ago. So job done and disarm. Oh and 1559. The continuous re-arming, rocket attacks and raids have led to this situation.

You were being sarcastic not ironic about the nukes. My way of thinking? Its not the Somme where they all charge out of the trench. Maybe if Hezbollah came out into the open Israel could do the same. Why should hundreds of Israeli families have kids die in a southern Lebanon prepared as a killing zone for exactly this eventuality just to even up the death toll?. If the Hezbollah cared as much for their kids and women we either wouldn't be in the middle of this or they would ensure that they were safe and well out of the battlefield.

I am thinking Hezbollah should disarm and the UN and Lebanese government should step up.

[Celumnaz]

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,,...5007220,00.html <=== pics

Photos that damn Hezbollah

Chris Link

July 30, 2006 12:00am

Article from: Sunday Herald Sun

THIS is the picture that damns Hezbollah. It is one of several, smuggled from behind Lebanon's battle lines, showing that Hezbollah is waging war amid suburbia.

The images, obtained exclusively by the Sunday Herald Sun, show Hezbollah using high-density residential areas as launch pads for rockets and heavy-calibre weapons.

Dressed in civilian clothing so they can quickly disappear, the militants carrying automatic assault rifles and ride in on trucks mounted with cannon.

The photographs, from the Christian area of Wadi Chahrour in the east of Beirut, were taken by a visiting journalist and smuggled out by a friend.

They emerged as:

US President George Bush called for an international force to be sent to Lebanon.

ISRAEL called up another 30,000 reserve troops.

THE UN's humanitarian chief Jan Egeland called for a three-day truce to evacuate civilians and transport food and water into cut-off areas.

US SECRETARY of State Condoleezza Rice returned to the Middle East to push a UN resolution aimed at ending the 18-day war, and:

A PALESTINIAN militant group said it had kidnapped, killed and burned an Israeli settler in the West Bank.

The images include one of a group of men and youths preparing to fire an anti-aircraft gun metres from an apartment block with sheets hanging out on a balcony to dry.

Others show a militant with AK47 rifle guarding no-go zones after Israeli blitzes.

Another depicts the remnants of a Hezbollah Katyusha rocket in the middle of a residential block blown up in an Israeli air attack.

The Melbourne man who smuggled the shots out of Beirut and did not wish to be named said he was less than 400m from the block when it was obliterated.

"Hezbollah came in to launch their rockets, then within minutes the area was blasted by Israeli jets," he said.

"Until the Hezbollah fighters arrived, it had not been touched by the Israelis. Then it was totally devastated.

"It was carnage. Two innocent people died in that incident, but it was so lucky it was not more."

The release of the images comes as Hezbollah faces criticism for allegedly using innocent civilians as "human shields".

Mr Egeland blasted Hezbollah as "cowards" for operating among civilians.

"When I was in Lebanon, in the Hezbollah heartland, I said Hezbollah must stop this cowardly blending in among women and children," he said.

[Bella-Angelique]

whether hezbollah planned this or not,israeli army should not act like they are acting now !

Israel just wanted nice target to spend some rockets,cause thats what rockets are for they mean nothin' if they are not fired.They are allways like...got one soldier killed,then kill 100 civilians.It was also the case with palestinians.That region will never be peacefull because of curse of israeli people,who will pay for betraying the Christ.Stop bombing Liban you ******g hommicidal maniacs !

The Homicidal Maniacs are HEZBOLLAH, not Israel!

Hezbollah DELIBERATELY planned the deaths of the Lebanese people this year the same way they have in the over the past 20 years.

HEZBOLLAH chose who the victims would be, who they want to die for propaganda, and then they go to where their victims are and shoot from there to draw SELF DEFENSE fire in that direction to kill the victims HEZBOLLAH chose to die.

THE PROOF IS ON FILM!!!

Watch the films of the Hezbollah rocket launching trucks drive up to where they wish their Leabanese victims to die and see them shoot their rockets.

The radar then tells the Israelis where the rockets fired at them comes from and they fire back in self defense, as Hezbollah runs off to their next selected Lebanese victims chosen to die and fires a rocket from there.

FACE REALITY

Israel did not choose those people to die.

Israel did not choose where the rockets would be launched from.

HEZBOLLAH WANTED THE LEBANESE TO DIE

HEZBOLLAH CHOSE WHICH LEBANESE THEY WANTED TO DIE

HEZBOLLAH CHOSE TO FIRE ROCKETS FROM THERE SO THE CHOSEN LEBANESE WOULD DIE FOR PROPAGANDA

Edited July 31, 2006 by Bella-Angelique

[Mekorig]

eeehh....what the photos show are some gus whit some AKs and a Anti-air gun in a truck. No rocke launcer....in fact, it could be taken anywhere. Or some years ago, when they were fighting against Israeli ocupation.

[Bella-Angelique]

eeehh....what the photos show are some gus whit some AKs and a Anti-air gun in a truck. No rocke launcer....in fact, it could be taken anywhere. Or some years ago, when they were fighting against Israeli ocupation.

Radar is old tech but accurate in revealing where rockets are launched from.

The fact that anyone sees any photography at all show that Israel is trying to avoid the areas that Hezbollah wants all of the Lebanese to be killed in after they launch their rockets from there.

Radar is enough to just hit the sites where they are fired from.

Just how low is the tech of some nations?

Can they not understand at all that radar shows that Hezbollah is deliberately setting up large groups of civilians as targets?

Are that many nations trully that ignorant and backwards?

[Mekorig]

ejem....soo far, the Israeli have bombed by air and artillery general zones suspected to hold members of Hizbolla or its rocket lauchers. No precise launch zone, but general by stimations. Tyhe civilian death toll until now proves it. Israel is bombing whiout caring for the civilians. Sure, they can launch panflets warning the population to leave, but later they bomb the refugess caravans and buildings used by them to sleep. And until now, i didnt found any proff that Hizbolla have used this refugee building to launch rockets. And the Israeli military its not a reliable source.