Israel’set to widen offensive’
The Israeli plan had been put on hold to give diplomacy more time
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has ordered the army to prepare to expand its ground offensive in Lebanon, Israeli officials have said.
The move came as diplomats at the UN continued to try to reach a deal on a resolution to end the fighting.
The Israeli ambassador to the UN said Israel was still involved in the talks, despite Mr Olmert＇s order.
Israel radio said troops had been ordered to seize ground as far as the strategic Litani River.
The plan to expand ground operations was approved on Wednesday but put on hold by Mr Olmert to give more time for diplomacy to bear fruit.
The BBC＇s Rob Norris in Jerusalem says the announcement could be an act of brinkmanship as the talks in New York reach a crucial stage.
Following intense negotiations on Friday, the UK Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said the US and France had agreed on a new draft resolution.
Lebanon had objected to the absence in the previous version of an explicit call for the withdrawal of Israeli troops and the powers of a new UN force to be deployed in the south of the country.
In contrast, the US and Israel favoured a withdrawal only after the deployment of a robust international force.
The BBC＇s Daniel Lak at the UN says what remains to be seen now is whether the latest Franco-American resolution is accepted first of all in Lebanon and Israel and, after that, by the wider UN Security Council.
As the diplomacy continued, fresh violence took a further toll on both Israel and Lebanon.
In one of the bloodiest incidents, 12 civilians were killed when Israeli jets struck a bridge at crossing on the Lebanon-Syria border, Lebanese sources said.
Several people were also reported wounded in renewed Hezbollah missile attacks on northern Israel.
The UN＇s Human Rights Council, meanwhile, has voted for an inquiry into Israeli attacks on civilians in Lebanon.
The council approved the resolution, brought by Islamic countries, by 27 votes to 11.
Eleven countries - many of which criticised the proposal for not condemning Hezbollah as well - voted against the move, while eight abstained.
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