The UN Security Council on Saturday again rejected pleas that it call for an immediate cease-fire between Israel and Hizbullah after the United States objected, diplomats said.
In closed-door talks the United States argued that the focus for Middle East diplomacy for now should be on the weekend summit in St. Petersburg of the Group of Eight industrialized nations, council diplomats said.
The U.S. was the sole member of the 15-nation UN body to oppose any council action at all at this time, they said. "We would expect much more from the Security Council," Lebanese Foreign Ministry official Nouhad Mahmoud told reporters after the council meeting.
Earlier, Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora called for an immediate cease-fire with Israel, and asked for help in deploying the country's army in the south.
Meanwhile, Israel's Defense Minister Amir Peretz ordered the army Saturday night to step up the number of attacks against Lebanon. Hours after the order was made, Israeli planes indeed launched a wave of bombing raids on the Lebanese capital's southern suburbs early Sunday. A series of huge blasts, about 18 in total, shook Beirut.
Al-Manar TV said Israeli warplanes bombed the Jiyeh power station early Sunday. The plant, which is located some 20 kilometers south of the Lebanese capital, was in flames in the early hours of the morning, Al-Manar and other Lebanese TVs said.
The southern suburbs were repeatedly blasted by Israeli warplanes for most of Saturday, but the early Sunday raids were the heaviest since Israel launched its offensive Wednesday.
