Israeli planes shelled Hezbollah strongholds in the southern suburbs of Beirut as fighting continued between Israel Defense Forces and the militant group Hezbollah.
A spokesman for the IDF indicated that 10 buildings housing top ranking Hezbollah personnel were the targets of the strike. Al-Jazeera television claimed that 20 rockets were fired at the Dahiyah neighborhood just south of the Lebanese capital.
A top Israeli military commander also stated publicly for the first time that Israel had no intention of making deep incursions into Lebanon or occupying Lebanese territory.
'The intention is to deal with the Hezbollah infrastructure that is within reach,' explained Colonel Hemi Livni, the commander of Israeli troops in western sector of southern Lebanon, on Israel Army Radio. 'That means in southern Lebanon, not going beyond that.'
President Bush continues to say that he wants a long-term solution to the crisis which means allowing Israeli troops to keep Hezbollah guerillas far from the Israeli border. The U.S. State Department lists Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.
"I support a sustainable cease-fire that will bring about an end to violence," Bush said.
Reports out of Lebanon indicate that Israeli forces have surrounded the town of Bint Jbail where approximately 200 Hezbollah guerillas are occupying the town. Fierce fighting has been reported in the area.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah continued to fire rockets at northern Israel. At least 70 were counted on Tuesday with one killing a teenaged girl in the in the Arab-Israeli town of Maghar. Additional rockets were fired at Haifa, Kiryat Shemona, Nahariya, Tiberias, Acre and Safed.
Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres called on the people of Lebanon to oust the Hezbollah guerillas from their territory. He also explained that Israel had no quarrel with Lebanon. 'As soon as the war ends, you will find in us what we really are, pursuers of peace, seekers of peace, seekers of hope,' Peres said. 'There is not any conflict between Israel and Lebanon.'
Thus far, at least 389 Lebanese have been killed in the fighting between Hezbollah and the IDF while 42 Israelis have died. Hezbollah has admitted that at least 20 of its gunmen have been killed in the fighting.
While international efforts to end the battles continue, the fighting goes on.
