Israel/Hezbollah War News

The Israeli's appear to be mounting a ground attack:

Tanks and armour were reported to be massing on the border and a reserve infantry division mobilised as the air force dropped leaflets warning residents to leave.

"We recommend them to leave their homes and go to the north of the country, because in two or three hours we are going to attack the south of Lebanon heavily," said Maj Gen Udi Adam, Israel's northern commander.

Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, said after a cabinet meeting that his country would stop at nothing to end the threat from Iranian-backed Hizbollah militants. As the conflict intensified, world leaders at the G8 summit in St Petersburg managed to bridge an international rift on the crisis and issued a statement blaming Hizbollah and setting out conditions for a ceasefire.

More here about invasion plans.

Jeff Jacoby sees through the rhetoric to who's really stirring the pot:

And so Israel finds itself at war again, this time on two fronts against two of the most lethal terrorist forces in the world. Except that the real enemy confronting it is not Hamas and Hezbollah. Terrorist organizations cannot function without state sponsorship, and no state anywhere sponsors more Islamist terrorism than Iran.

Was it just a coincidence that Ahmadinejad's prediction of ``a huge explosion" came only days before Hezbollah's assault across the border and its unprecedented attack on Haifa? Or did the rabid president of the evil regime that bankrolls Hezbollah with an estimated $200 million a year know what was coming? It was Iran that supplied Hezbollah with its immense arsenal of artillery rockets. When Hezbollah launches them at Israel, it is doing the bidding of its patron.

Is Olmert about to back down somewhat?

JERUSALEM Jul 17, 2006 (AP)— Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday that the fighting in Lebanon would end when two Israeli soldiers were freed, rocket attacks stopped and the Lebanese army deployed along the border. But he appeared to scale back from previous demands for Hezbollah to be dismantled.

Delivering an impassioned speech to Israel's parliament after six days of fierce fighting, Olmert said Israel would have no mercy on militants who attacked its cities with rockets.

Thoughts on "apocalyptic Muslim Jew hatred" at the American Thinker.

As always, go to Hot Air and PJ's Media for continuing coverage.