JERUSALEM – A massive wave of guerrilla rockets pounded northern Israel in a matter of minutes Thursday, killing eight people hours before Hezbollah’s leader offered to stop the attacks if Israel ends its airstrikes. Israel hit back early today with airstrikes in southern Beirut.
Israel lost four soldiers in fighting Thursday, making it the deadliest day yet for the Jewish state in its two-front war.
The Israeli military said the targets of the latest attacks in the southern Beirut Shiite neighborhood of Danieh were Hezbollah facilities and a Hamas office. Local media said Israel launched 24 bombing runs in an hour.
Israeli artillery shells earlier exploded in the hills of southern Lebanon, sometimes as many as 15 per minute. The military said its aircraft were hitting Hezbollah targets all over the country.
In the second front of its offensive against Islamic militants, Israel sent dozens of tanks into the Gaza Strip as aircraft fired at clusters of militants. The heavy clashes in Gaza killed eight Palestinians, including an 8-year-old boy.
Despite Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah’s offer and continuing diplomatic efforts to broker a cease-fire, the Israeli army prepared to push up to Lebanon’s Litani River as part of its campaign to force the Shiite guerrillas away from the border and make room for a planned international force to patrol the area.
Israel said three of its soldiers were killed when an anti-tank rocket hit their tank, seriously damaging the vehicle, and a fourth during fighting in the southern Lebanese town of Taibeh.
Since the fighting started, 68 Israelis have been killed, 41 soldiers and 27 civilians. More than 300,000 Israelis have fled their homes in the north, Israeli officials said.
An Associated Press count shows at least 525 Lebanese have been killed, including 450 civilians confirmed dead by the Health Ministry, 25 Lebanese soldiers and at least 50 Hezbollah guerrillas. Five of the civilians were reported dead Thursday in airstrikes. Hezbollah also reported four deaths but did not say when the fighters were killed.
Despite Israel’s efforts to crush Hezbollah, the guerrillas launched at least 200 rockets into northern Israel on Thursday.
At least 100 of them rained down within a half-hour period Thursday afternoon, setting cars on fire, sending Israelis fleeing into shelters and killing eight people. The barrage, which came a day after the guerrillas fired more than 230 rockets into Israel, underscored Hezbollah’s continued ability to carry out unrelenting strikes.
In Maalot, three Israeli Arabs from the village of Tarshiha were riding in a car when rockets started falling. They ran out of the vehicle in search of shelter and were killed by a rocket, police said.
“Hezbollah fires missiles and they don’t think about anyone,” Naim Naim, who was friends with one of those killed, said as he stood near a large hole stained with blood that scarred the ground.
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