The Israel Defense Forces have sent a small number of troops across the border into Lebanon on Wednesday to search for Hezbollah weapons and tunnels which the guerillas use to smuggle weapons and gunmen.
While the Israeli government indicated its campaign against the militant group Hezbollah may continue for at least a week, Jerusalem denies any intent to send large numbers of troops across the Lebanese border at the present time.
'What is going on at the moment is a number of Israeli ground troops very near to the border on the Lebanese side, trying to destroy some Hezbollah outposts,' Israel's U.N. Ambassador Dan Gillerman told CNN.
'This is an operation which is very measured, very local,' he said. 'This is no way an invasion of Lebanon. This is no way the beginning of any kind of occupation of Lebanon.'
Meanwhile, fighting continues throughout the area with Israeli war planes dropping bombs on suspected terrorist outposts and Hezbollah militants firing rockets into Israel. Israeli planes struck again in the southern suburbs of Beirut while at least 100 rockets were launched at Israel including some that hit the city of Haifa.
Foreigners in Lebanon are being evacuated whenever possible. Approximately 300 Americans have already fled the country with plans to help more of the estimated 25,000 U.S. nationals in Lebanon escape the fighting.
The White House continues to back Israel's right to defend itself against future attacks by Hezbollah. 'A cease-fire that would leave intact a terrorist infrastructure is unacceptable,' White House spokesman Tony Snow explained. 'So what we're trying to do is work as best we can toward a cease-fire that is going to create not only the conditions, but the institutions for peace and democracy in the region.'
Diplomatic efforts at obtaining a ceasefire also continue. Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni indicated that Israel would accept a ceasefire only if the two IDF soldiers abducted by Hezbollah were returned unharmed and that Lebanese and/or U.N. troops were stationed in southern Lebanon to keep Hezbollah from attacking Israel there. Hezbollah would also have to be disarmed although that was not a precondition for a ceasefire.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan is also involved in attempting to find a diplomatic solution to the ongoing battle. For now, the fighting continues.
