Israeli ministers to decide on Lebanon strategy

Israel must unleash massive air strikes against villages in south Lebanon to clear out Hezbollah gunmen, an Israeli cabinet minister said today, as the Israeli government was to decide whether to broaden the military offensive against the Lebanese guerrillas.

The call for greater firepower came as Israel suffered its heaviest casualty toll in the 15-day campaign, with nine soldiers killed and 25 wounded in house-to-house fighting in Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon yesterday.