Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi has submitted to the Lebanese government Israel's two conditions for a ceasefire: the return of the two captive soldiers held by Hizbullah, and the distancing of Hizbullah from southern Lebanon.
At least one Lebanese government member feels Hizbullah must be held accountable and act with Lebanon's interests in mind. Walid Jumblatt, the leader of the Druze faction in the Lebanese coalition government, said today, "One must not forget that Hizbullah works according to a Syrian-Iranian plan in one way or another. But I hope that Sayyed Hassan [Hizbullah chieftain Sheikh Nasrallah] has a margin of freedom allowing him to put the interest of Lebanon above the Syrian and Iranian interests."
Hizbullah is also a member of the Lebanese government coalition.
Some Arab countries, such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Abu Dhabi and others, have a measure of criticism of Hizbullah. A Saudi official mentioned Hizbullah's "ill-considered adventures, and other countries are known to agree - not yet publicly, however.
The Washington Post reports that the U.S. supports Israel's goal of eliminating Hizbullah, with the goal of "strangl[ing] the axis of Hizbullah, Hamas, Syria and Iran."
Former Defense Minister Sha'ul Mofaz, who now serves as Transportation Minister, said that the deadly Katyusha rocket fired at Haifa today was packed with Syrian ammunition. He said, however, that Iran is Hizbullah's chief sponsor.
Asked what his successor Defense Minister Amir Peretz should do now, Mofaz said, "The IDF should continue according to the plan determined by the government. We must continue to hit the Hizbullah infrastructures that they built up over the past years."
Mofaz was not asked whether he feels responsible for the Hizbullah build-up that took place over the past six years. He was Defense Minister from Nov. 2002, two and a half years after Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon, until March of this year.
Iran has warned Israel not to attack Syria. Syria has also warned Israel, promising a "harsh and direct" response if Israel attacks. "Aggression against Syria will have a firm and direct response not limited in time or means," Information Minister Mohsen Bilal said in a statement.
The three captive soldiers being held by Arab Moslem terrorists are Gilad (ben Aviva) Shalit in Gaza, and Ehud (ben Malkah) Goldwasser and Eldad (ben Tova) Regev in Lebanon.
At least one Lebanese government member feels Hizbullah must be held accountable and act with Lebanon's interests in mind. Walid Jumblatt, the leader of the Druze faction in the Lebanese coalition government, said today, "One must not forget that Hizbullah works according to a Syrian-Iranian plan in one way or another. But I hope that Sayyed Hassan [Hizbullah chieftain Sheikh Nasrallah] has a margin of freedom allowing him to put the interest of Lebanon above the Syrian and Iranian interests."
Hizbullah is also a member of the Lebanese government coalition.
Some Arab countries, such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Abu Dhabi and others, have a measure of criticism of Hizbullah. A Saudi official mentioned Hizbullah's "ill-considered adventures, and other countries are known to agree - not yet publicly, however.
The Washington Post reports that the U.S. supports Israel's goal of eliminating Hizbullah, with the goal of "strangl[ing] the axis of Hizbullah, Hamas, Syria and Iran."
Former Defense Minister Sha'ul Mofaz, who now serves as Transportation Minister, said that the deadly Katyusha rocket fired at Haifa today was packed with Syrian ammunition. He said, however, that Iran is Hizbullah's chief sponsor.
Asked what his successor Defense Minister Amir Peretz should do now, Mofaz said, "The IDF should continue according to the plan determined by the government. We must continue to hit the Hizbullah infrastructures that they built up over the past years."
Mofaz was not asked whether he feels responsible for the Hizbullah build-up that took place over the past six years. He was Defense Minister from Nov. 2002, two and a half years after Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon, until March of this year.
Iran has warned Israel not to attack Syria. Syria has also warned Israel, promising a "harsh and direct" response if Israel attacks. "Aggression against Syria will have a firm and direct response not limited in time or means," Information Minister Mohsen Bilal said in a statement.
The three captive soldiers being held by Arab Moslem terrorists are Gilad (ben Aviva) Shalit in Gaza, and Ehud (ben Malkah) Goldwasser and Eldad (ben Tova) Regev in Lebanon.