Israel ready for full-scale assault

Martin Fletcher Correspondent • Profile

HAIFA, Israel - Hezbollah has pounded Israeli cities with more than 3,000 rockets in a month, the worst bombing Israel has faced in its history.

And Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, touring the front, said:  "Enough." If there is no international agreement to stop the fighting within a day or two, he said, the gloves are off.

"We are going to win this war," Olmert said. "As I said from Day One, it is not going to be easy."

After weeks of resisting a full ground invasion of south Lebanon, Olmert gave the army the green light Monday to push at least 18 miles from the Israeli border to the Litani River. He said there is no limit.

The aim is to push Hezbollah out of Katyusha rocket range of Israel. After close to four weeks of bitter fighting, Israel is still nowhere near succeeding.

"Let me tell you something. Crushing Hezbollah is not like ordering a pizza. It takes time," says Israeli Army Gen. Yossi Kupperwasser.

Even in the villages Israel occupies in southern Lebanon, Hezbollah is still fighting back, killing three Israeli soldiers in combat in Bint Jbail and firing more than 160 Katyusha rockets Monday.

Monday night, there is one good sign. The Lebanese government announced it would call up 15,000 reserves, to take over when Israeli troops leave Lebanon. That is one of Israel's conditions to stop the fighting.

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