Israeli Bombing Kills 41 Lebanese Civilians

Israeli jets killed 41 Lebanese civilians in its latest bombing raids today as dozens of cruisers and naval vessels arrived off the coast of Beirut to begin the evacuation of foreign nationals.

Israeli forces were also in action in Gaza and the West Bank, killing nine Palestinians in dawn incursions.

Many of the Lebanese were killed in the southern village of Srifa. At least 12 villagers, including several children, were killed and 30 wounded in an Israeli air strike that destroyed several houses.

"There was a massacre committed in Srifa," the village's mayor, Afif Najdi, told Al Arabiya television. "There are dozens dead and massive destruction. Emergency services are putting out fires, they cannot reach the houses to recover bodies."

Six of the Palestinians were killed when Israeli tanks moved into the Mughazi refugee camp in central Gaza at dawn. The army took over several houses while bulldozers levelled nearby farmland.

Palestinian gunmen responded to the attack. Five were killed by gunfire and one by missiles fired from a helicopter. The aim of the army operation appeared to be to remove cover that could be used by rocket launchers and to provoke Palestinian fighters into a fire fight.

The Israeli incursion is the latest in a series which began when Palestinian militants attacked Israeli positions on June 25, killing two soldiers and kidnapping one.

Almost 100 Palestinians have been killed in the campaign to free the captured soldier, which was expanded to prevent rocket fire and to weaken Hamas. In spite of Israeli actions, Palestinian militants have maintained their rate of rocket fire and have repeatedly hit the southern city of Ashkelon.

In Nablus in the West Bank three Palestinians were killed when the Israeli army surrounded a police station in an attempt to arrest wanted men. Gunmen exchanged fire with the soldiers, injuring six of them. Three of the gunmen were shot by the army.

Events in Gaza and the West Bank have been overshadowed by Hizbullah's attack on Israeli positions a week ago in which they killed eight soldiers and captured two.

Israel responded by bombing targets all over Lebanon, killing more than 250 civilians. As in Gaza, its campaign has expanded from just freeing the two soldiers to changing the political status quo in Lebanon.

The Israeli army and security services are offering contradictory views on how long its attack will last. Speculation varies from the action ending on Sunday to it lasting several weeks.

Brigadier General Alon Friedman said in a radio interview that half of Hizbullah's stock pile of more than 10,000 rockets had been destroyed. "It will take us time to destroy what is left," he said.

Hizbullah has fired more than 700 rockets at Israel, killing 13 people. Rockets have reached up to 35 miles inside Israel, but the Israeli army has said Hizbullah has rockets with a range of over 100 miles which could reach Tel Aviv.

Several rockets landed in northern Israel today, causing no injures. The area remains paralysed, with people remaining in shelters and all businesses closed.

In Beirut thousands of Lebanese with foreign passports prepared to leave in chartered ships and naval vessels. Civil war and past Israeli invasions created a large Lebanese diaspora in Europe and North America, many of whom return to Lebanon for summer holidays.

HMS Illustrious and HMS Bulwark were waiting to transport British nationals to Cyprus, while ferries and cruise liners began evacuating Americans and Scandinavians.

Israel has bombed Beirut airport and destroyed bridges and passes on the main roads out of Beirut. Its navy has also imposed a blockade, which it is relaxing to allow the evacuation.

While many Lebanese disapprove of Hizbullah's confrontation with Israel and the damage to Lebanon that has ensued, some are pleased that an Arab group is standing up to Israel.

Ali Khreiss, 46, told the Associated Press that he was reluctant to leave Beirut. "I want to be part of this. This is the first time an Arab country bombs Haifa."