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Less Israelis support war
11/08/2006 18:12 - (SA)
Jerusalem - Israel's government is losing domestic support for its conduct of the conflict against Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon, and doubt is growing among Israelis that they are winning the war, according to polls published on Friday.
Hezbollah renewed its rocket attacks on Israel after dawn on Friday, firing a barrage of missiles at the port city of Haifa and elsewhere in northern Israel, said police.
Rescue authorities said shrapnel injured seven Haifa residents.
Israel said a soldier was killed by anti-tank fire overnight in the southern Lebanese village of Labuneh, raising the number of soldiers killed to 84 since the fighting started on July 12.
Hezbollah rockets also have killed 38 civilians.
Later on Friday, the army said three soldiers were hit in heavy fighting in the western sector of the Lebanese front, but declined to give further details.
The army's failure to end incessant attacks is likely one reason for the drop in the government's popularity figures.
A broad ground operation
A poll in the Yediot Aharonot newspaper showed 37% of the 500 people questioned believed Israel would cripple Hezbollah, compared with 40% in a previous survey.
Seventeen percent thought Israel would lose the war and Hezbollah would return to south Lebanon, up from 13% previously, said the poll conducted by the Dahaf organisation.
It had a margin of error of 4.5%.
The percentage of people supporting a broad ground operation to push Hezbollah guerrillas beyond the range of short-range rockets fell to 64% from 73%, the poll said, indicating a growing public desire for diplomatic initiatives.
On Wednesday, the security cabinet gave Prime Minister Ehud Olmert the authority to send more troops into south Lebanon.
Officials said Israel will hold off on any new offensive for a few days for diplomatic efforts to play out at the UN security council, where the United States and France were working on a cease-fire resolution that could come to a vote as early as Friday.
Approved broadening ground operations
The Dahaf survey showed Olmert's personal approval rating fell to 66% from 73%.
Another poll of 570 Israelis, conducted by Dialogue for the Haaretz daily, said just one Israeli in five believes that if the war ended now, it could be considered a victory, while 30% said Israel is losing the war and 44% said neither side would emerge a winner.
The poll's margin of error was 4.8%.
Though the security cabinet vote overwhelmingly approved broadening ground operations - nine in favour with three abstentions - reports indicate that divisions run deeper in Olmert's inner circle.
Haaretz reported Olmert vetoed an appearance at the security council by foreign minister Tzipi Livni, who has been counselling military restraint and greater attention to diplomacy.
- AP
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