Israeli ground forces have pushed further north into Lebanon towards the town of Bint Jbail where they are expected to face determined resistance from Hezbollah fighters. An Israeli army spokesman said six Israeli soldiers were lightly wounded in the fighting on Monday.
According to Israeli spokesmen, Israeli forces began moving towards the town of Bint Jbail town on Monday. They described the town as a Hezbollah stronghold.
The nearby town of Marun al-Ras, just across the Lebanese border, was captured by the Israelis yesterday after heavy fighting.
The army said the troops were also carrying out pinpoint operations against Hezbollah positions near the Israel-Lebanon border.
The conflict began after two Israeli soldiers were captured and eight killed by Hezbollah fighters in a cross-border raid on July 12.
Israel has also continued to bomb suspected Hezbollah individuals and infrastructure.
Israeli helicopters have fired at least five missiles into the Palestinian al-Rashidiya refugee camp in southern Lebanon.
The attack killed one person and injured six, Aljazeera television's correspondent in Lebanon reported on Monday morning.
Eleven others have reportedly been killed in more air strikes on the southern city of Tyre and Beirut's southern suburb.
More than 369 people in Lebanon have been killed, mostly from Israeli aerial bombardments against Hizbollah positions and some civilian installations.
New Israeli ground incursion in southern Lebanon came as the US secretary of state is on her way to the region in the wake of visits by European envoys.
Condoleezza Rice said on her way that the United States' poor relationship with Syria was overstated, and indicated an openness to working with Damascus to resolve the violent situationin the Middle East.
Rice has tried to walk delicately between supporting the Lebanese government while also not dictating to Israel how it should handle its own security. Her posture has frustrated numerous allies.
"We all want to urgently end the fighting. We have absolutely the same goal," Rice said.
But she added that if the violence ended only to restart within weeks, "then all of the carnage that Hezbollah launched by its illegal activities, abducting the soldiers and then launching rocket attacks, we will have gotten nothing from that."
Rice comment was echoed by George Bush, the US president, who remains opposed to an immediate cease-fire to stop violence in the Middle East, despite personal pleas from ally Saudi Arabia that he help stop the bloodshed.
White House officials said Bush had refused to press for an immediate cease-fire.
"Our position on an immediate cease-fire is well known and has not changed," said White House national security spokesman Frederick Jones.
Rice and Bush have rejected calls for an immediate cease-fire, saying it does not make sense if the threat from Hezbollah is not addressed.
They have said Israel has a right to defend itself and Hezbollah must return two captured Israeli soldiers and stop firing missiles and rockets into Israel if they want the fighting to stop.
Aljazeera and Agencies
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