ISRAEL EASES CONDITIONS FOR CEASE-FIRE
STATEMENTS SIGNAL WILLINGNESS TO CEASE BOMBARDMENT IF TWO SOLDIERS HELD BY HEZBOLLAH ARE RETURNED
17 July 2006

United Press International is reporting Israel has eased the conditions it requires to suspend military operations and its blockade against Lebanon. PM Ehud Olmert, in a speech to Israel's parliament expressed his determination not to yield to any group that launches missiles into Israeli cities, but signalled that moving Hezbollah away from the Israeli border could bring about a cease-fire.

A senior official in the Israeli government has said the return of the two soldiers and withdrawal of Hezbollah forces from the border area would be enough to achieve a cease-fire. As the conflict has escalated, rocket attacks by Hezbollah against Israeli civilian centers have penetrated deeper into Israeli territory, putting intense pressure on the government to reach a resolution to the crisis.

The initial goal of the soldiers' release had been steadily ramped up to a demand for the complete disarmament of Hezbollah before Israel would halt its offensive. That new goal had been prompted by Hezbollah's apparently increased arsenal and the longer range of its newer weapons.

Talk of assigning blame to Syria and/or Iran had prompted real fears of a regional conflagration. The Israeli announcement came after a stern call from UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and UK PM Tony Blair for an multinational stabilization force on the Israel-Lebanon border.

US pres. George W. Bush was overheard informally mentioning to Tony Blair his desire to see Syria order Hezbollah to halt its attacks against Israel. But while pressure seems to lead in the direction of diplomacy, Israel is at present continuing its bombardment and no formal negotiations have begun.

As tensions seemed to be catching fire throughout the region, there was a report that an Israeli F-16 had been downed in Lebanon and that ground forces were readying to deploy to confront Hezbollah in combat, presumably to attempt to reach the plane or its crew.

MTV reports "Lebanese officials said the battles have so far killed a total of 142 people in Lebanon and wounded 382. Israel said 12 civilians and nine soldiers and sailors had been killed since Wednesday", as casualties continue to mount, and the political goals in play appear less clear. [s]

• Houston Chronicle: "Israel softens conditions for cease-fire"
• BBC: "Glimmer of hope for Mid-east diplomacy"
• Daily India: "Israel signals call for cease-fire"
• SABC: "Syria should press Hizbollah to back off: Bush"
• MTV: "Israel/Lebanon Conflict Escalates in Sixth Day of Bombing"

BACKGROUND:
ISRAEL-LEBANON CONFLICT RAPIDLY ESCALATING
HEZBOLLAH ROCKET ATTACKS MORE SOPHISTICATED THAN BEFORE, PROMPTING OVERWHELMING FORCE FROM ISRAELI MILITARY
17 July 2006

Israel's bombardment of Lebanon is described today as "relentless", with new targets in northern Lebanon having been hit and civilian death tolls and injuries mounting. Leaders at the G8 summit have issued a joint communiqué blaming Hezbollah attacks on civilians for the violence, demanding an end to rocket attacks, but calling on Israel to cease all operations in Lebanon that could harm civilians. [Full Story]

OBSERVERS WORRY MIDEAST ESCALATION COULD FLARE INTO WAR
WORLD LEADERS, INCLUDING US STATE DEPT., URGE BOTH ISRAEL, HEZBOLLAH TO REFRAIN FROM ESCALATING VIOLENCE
14 July 2006

Israel's attack on Lebanon has escalated, with bombing of Beirut's international airport, the main highway between Beirut and Damascus, at least one power station, several bridges, and a mounting sea blockade. Israel says it holds Lebanon responsible for Hezbollah's abduction of two Israeli soldiers and is acting in self-defense.

The US State Department, through Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, has called on all sides to refrain from using disproportionate violence and to scale back attacks, but admits the right of Israel to defend itself. Lebanese officials have criticized Israel's PM Ehud Olmert's assigning blame to Lebanon as a whole for the actions of the radical group Hezbollah, saying neither the Lebanese governmenet nor even Hezbollah's political wing have any influence over the military element of the group. [Full Story]

AMNESTY REPORTS INTERNATIONAL ARMS TRADE 'OUT OF CONTROL'
HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP SAYS 'OPAQUE CHAIN' OF PRIVATE INTERESTS INCREASING SHIPMENTS OF DANGEROUS ARMS, WITH LITTLE SUPERVISION
10 May 2006

Amnesty International has published a new report examining the international arms trade, and its findings indicate there is little control on the expanding web of private interests seeking to profit from a proliferation of dangerous weapons. The report also illustrates the ways in which this scattering of dangerous weapons has lead to severe human rights abuses. [Full Story]