Israeli forces took control of the strategic southern hub of Marjayoun today and warned that its fight against Hezbollah could grow wider and more severe if diplomacy fails.

Israeli artillery pounded villages and hills throughout south Lebanon while a complete curfew was imposed on any civilians still trapped in the heart of the war zone.

The European Union today called Israel’s attack on a UN observation post in southern Lebanon unacceptable and demanded a full investigation into the incident.

Israel’s prime minister expressed “deep regret” today over the killing of UN peacekeepers in an Israeli airstrike, but rejected UN Secretary General Kofi Annan’s charge that the bombing of the UN position was apparently deliberate.

Israeli warplanes hit TV transmission towers today in Lebanon, knocking the nation’s leading private network off the air and cutting phone links to some regions.

ISRAELI troops met fierce resistance from Hezbollah guerrillas yesterday as they crossed into Lebanon to seek tunnels and weapons after warning residents in a 20-mile swathe of the south along the border to flee.