Olmert Claims Partial Victory as Rockets Rain Down

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JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Olmert claimed yesterday that Israel had “entirely destroyed” Hezbollah’s infrastructure in Lebanon.

But as he boasted of Israel’s military achievements, Hezbollah unleashed its heaviest one-day bombardment on Israel, sending more than 200 missiles deeper into the country than ever before.

One man was killed in the northern town of Nahariya as he rode his bicycle. More than 20 were wounded as the missiles rained across the north of the country, some reaching some 45 miles into Israel.

In interviews before the scale of the bombardment became clear yesterday, Mr. Olmert said a recent drop in rocket attacks was proof of Israeli military successes.

“I think Hezbollah has been disarmed by the military operation of Israel to a large degree,” he said, after Hezbollah launched only a handful of rockets on Monday and Tuesday. “The infrastructure of Hezbollah has been entirely destroyed. More than 700 command positions of Hezbollah were entirely wiped out by the Israeli army.”

Mr. Olmert was speaking in his Jerusalem office, where a small table in front his desk carried photographs of two Israeli soldiers whose capture by Hezbollah sparked Israel’s offensive three weeks ago.

The Hezbollah rockets, though poorly aimed, landed near the Israeli city of Afula, and as far south as the Palestinian Arab village of Jalboun in the West Bank. Palestinian Arabs chanted, “God is great,” out of respect for Hezbollah.

The group claimed that one of the long-range missiles was a Khaibar-1 rocket, which can carry a 175-pound warhead up to 65 miles. The rocket is Hezbollah’s name for the Iranian-made Fajr missile, the name referring to the Battle of Khaibar in the year 629 of the common era, when followers of the prophet Muhammad defeated Jewish tribes who refused to accept his religious authority.

“Today is the most intensive rocket attack we have seen since the beginning of the war,” an Israeli police spokesman, Micky Rosenfeld, said.

The latest fighting has seen up to 10,000 Israeli troops operating on the border or inside Lebanon, creating a pincer movement in which to trap Hezbollah militants.

Six brigades have been involved, with some driving southward from the Litani river, 18 miles into Lebanon, back toward Israel. There, other soldiers were pushing northward. Israeli commanders hope that between them, they will form the jaws to crush Hezbollah.

Mr. Olmert dashed hopes of a quick cease-fire, saying that fighting would continue until international combat troops arrived to intervene.

He said he would not order an end to the huge offensive until “an effective [international] force made of combat units” arrived on the ground in southern Lebanon.

Such a force could take weeks to assemble. A few days ago, Secretary of State Rice said she was hopeful of a cease-fire by the end of this week. Israel seems determined not to allow Hezbollah any respite, however, and wants to rein in its army in Lebanon only when it can hand over to foreign forces from nations that it trusts.

Mr. Olmert mentioned Britain, France, Italy, Australia, and Turkey as welcome contributors to such a force. But international powers are unlikely to be enthusiastic about such a direct transfer of power, which could lead to their troops being seen as an occupying Israeli proxy.

Mr. Olmert ruled out negotiations with Syria, which some feel could be tempted to end its support of Hezbollah in return for the reopening of talks on the Golan Heights, conquered by Israel in 1967 and formally annexed in 1981.

He described the regime of the Syrian leader, Bashar Al-Assad, as “reckless” and “immature,” adding: “I don’t see that Syria is ready or is even prepared to avail itself to any act of moderation.”

But he said the fighting could kickstart his plan for a unilateral Israeli withdrawal from large parts of the West Bank. The scheme, which would also consolidate Israel’s control around large Jewish settlements, was the basis of Mr. Olmert’s election victory in April.

It has been on hold since then as his fledgling premiership has run into a series of crises.


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