Israel 'aiming for Litani river'

The Israeli army will move deeper into southern Lebanon and hold on to that territory for several weeks, until a multinational force can deploy there, senior Israeli officials said today.

Israel Radio, Israel Army Radio and a senior Israeli government official said ground forces would reach the Litani river, about 30km north of the Israeli-Lebanese border. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to discuss decisions of closed-door government meetings with reporters.

Ephraim Sneh, a senior Labour Party lawmaker, indirectly confirmed the planned push until the Litani. Asked by Israel Radio how long troops would hold on to that territory, up to the Litani, Sneh said: “We are not talking about days we are talking about longer, but not about months.”

However, two other government officials said Israel’s security cabinet, which met late yesterday, only approved taking a smaller area of land, a strip of about seven kilometres (four miles) from the border.

Sneh, a former deputy defence minister, spoke hours after top cabinet ministers approved a broader ground offensive into southern Lebanon.

“The goal is not to occupy Lebanon,” Sneh said, adding that the goal is to hold onto the territory until a multinational force can be deployed to the Israel-Lebanon border.