FIERCE fighting has been raging at the Lebanese border as Israeli troops moved to besiege the biggest town there — Bint Jbail, nicknamed the “capital of the resistance” due to its intense support of Hezbollah during Israel’s 1982-2000 occupation of the south.

Lebanon seeks an immediate ceasefire in the nearly two-week old Israeli military campaign against Hezbollah in the country’s south, Lebanon’s ambassador to Japan said today.

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 took control of a village just across the Lebanese border today, after the area was pounded by bombs and artillery through the night.

Israeli aircraft and artillery pounded southern Lebanon in the early hours of today, apparently focusing on sectors across the border from where Israel’s army has massed tanks and troops ahead of an announced limited ground operation.

Israeli troops met fierce resistance from Hezbollah guerrillas today as they crossed into Lebanon to seek tunnels and weapons after warning residents in a nearly 20 mile swath of the south along the border to flee.

Israeli troops met fierce resistance from Hezbollah guerrillas today as they crossed into Lebanon to seek tunnels and weapons for a second consecutive day as Israel refused to rule out a full-scale invasion.