Israel will 'break' Hezbollah

2006-07-13 22:35

An Israeli soldier writes a message on a shell at a position on the frontier in Zaura, on the border with Lebanon. (Oded Balilty, AP)

Jerusalem - Israel intends to "break" the Shi'ite movement Hezbollah, defence minister Amir Peretz announced late on Thursday after at least one rocket fired from southern Lebanon landed in the city of Haifa.

"We expected that the Hezbollah would break the rules of the game and we intend to break the organisation," Peretz said, speaking before talks with US assistant secretary of state for near Eastern affairs David Welch.

"We have casualties on the Israeli homefront," the minister said.

"There will be no more restraints on creating tools in order to hit, in the most decisive way, this organisation which has violated all the rules and wants to lead the Middle East into an abyss," Peretz added.

Three Israelis were killed and more than 50 civilians wounded on Thursday when northern towns - including the industrial city of Haifa - were blitzed by over 100 rockets fired from Lebanon, where Hezbollah's militia is based.

- AFP