http://cnn.com/2000/WORLD/meast/02/07/israel.lebanon.02/index.html

Israeli jets target Hezbollah, plunge Beirut into darkness A power plant near Baalbek, in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, was among three stations hit in the first round of Israeli strikes February 7, 2000

Web posted at: 10:40 p.m. EST (0340 GMT)

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israeli warplanes launched a second wave of strikes early Tuesday against suspected Hezbollah strongholds in Israeli-occupied southern Lebanon, as Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak put the Muslim guerrillas on notice for killing four Israeli soldiers last week.

The attacks, which began Monday, could be heard outside the occupation zone in the Lebanese capital city, Beirut, parts of which were plunged into darkness earlier after the first round of strikes hit three power plants in different sections of Lebanon.

One of the stations overlooked Beirut, in Jamhour; another was in Lebanon's Syrian-controlled Bekaa Valley, at a plant near Baalbek; and the third was in the mountains east of the northern port city of Tripoli. The impact in the Bekaa Valley blew out windows and doors of apartments. Ground gunners opened up with anti-aircraft fire on the raiding jets.

Lebanese security officials said as many as 18 civilians were injured in Monday's attack near Baalbek. One of the injured was reported in serious condition. The other injuries were mainly caused by flying glass, officials said.

The station near Beirut erupted into a huge ball of orange flame during the 30-minute Israeli raid.

In 1985, Israel established a buffer zone in southern Lebanon to protect nearby northern Israeli towns from guerrilla attacks. But Islamic Hezbollah guerrillas have been fighting to drive the Israelis out ever since, and Barak said last July that Israel would withdraw within a year.

Israeli soldiers weep in Jerusalem during the funeral Monday of Staff Sgt. Yedidya Gefen, who was killed Sunday in southern Lebanon

Israeli army warns guerrillas, Lebanon An Israeli army spokesman said the Israeli raids were meant as a message to the Hezbollah and to the Lebanese government to "stop the escalation and to live in a co-existence as neighbors in the Middle East."

Sirens ordered residents into shelters in Israeli border towns, and heavily armed Israeli troops reported to their commanders at border crossings. Barak went to villages in northern Israel, bordering Lebanon, asking them to stand firm and brace for possible Hezbollah attacks.

The air attacks came after Barak met with his Security Cabinet and senior generals for more than six hours Monday to discuss military options against Hezbollah.

"We will struggle and we will see to it that he who hurts us will be hurt, and that it will be impossible to continue to act against the Israeli army without the attackers and those who send them receiving their punishment," he told supporters after the meeting.

Barak is walking a diplomatic tightrope over Lebanon, amid fears that excessive retaliation could harm chances of resuming stalled land-for-peace talks with Syria.

Barak under pressure to withdraw troops Hezbollah attacks on Israeli soldiers in Israel-occupied southern Lebanon are also putting pressure on Barak to order quick withdrawal of Israeli forces there.

Residents of the northern Israeli city of Kiryat Shemona prepare to spend the night inside a bomb shelter Monday Last week, four Israeli soldiers and a senior officer in the Israel-allied South Lebanese Army were killed in Hezbollah attacks. On Sunday, a medic was killed while he was tending to three soldiers wounded in earlier fighting.

The dramatic details of the latest deaths and grisly footage of the fighting have raised public pressure on Barak to make good on his promise to get out by July.

"There is no point in waiting until July, unless someone thinks that by then we can achieve an agreement (with Syria)," said Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, Barak's tourism minister and one of his lead negotiators with Syria.

But some have warned that a unilateral withdrawal would be counterproductive, bringing the Hezbollah within firing range of the Israeli towns arrayed along the border.

"It's easy to call for a unilateral withdrawal when you don't consider what will happen the next day among the northern border communities," said opposition Likud lawmaker Silvan Shalom.

-- Hokie (Hokie_@hotmail.com), February 08, 2000

Answers

They certainly do sound like a bunch of boys that REALLY do want to ake peace now don`t they all?

The hatred and distrust between the parties in the mideast has been so ingrained into the people for thousands of years now. Just don`t know how they will ever accoplish a true peace. Personally, when my children were young and they couldn`t play together without fighting...i just made them put their toys away and go to their rooms. Worked with them, maybe we should try that in the mideast?*:} This is a thorn in the side of the whole world it seems. And quite frightening!

-- mutter (murmur@ya.com), February 08, 2000.

They certainly do sound like a bunch of boys that REALLY do want to make peace now don`t they all?

The hatred and distrust between the parties in the mideast has been so ingrained into the people for thousands of years now. Just don`t know how they will ever accomplish[sp?] a true peace. Personally, when my children were young and they couldn`t play together without fighting...i just made them put their toys away and go to their rooms. Worked with them, maybe we should try that in the mideast?*:} This is a thorn in the side of the whole world it seems. And quite frightening!

-- mutter (murmur@ya.com), February 08, 2000.