BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP):ISRAEL ACCELERATED its air attack on Lebanon yesterday, blasting Hezbollah hideouts and hitting central Beirut for the first time. It accused Iran of helping fire a missile that damaged an Israeli warship in an ominous sign the showdown could spread.
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad condemned the Israeli offensive, accusing Israel of "behaving like Hitler."
There has been no sign in Lebanon of Iranian Revolutionary Guards for 15 years. But Iran is one of Hezbollah's principal backers along with Syria, providing weapons, money and political support. And many believe Iran and Syria are fueling the battle to show their strength in the region.
NO ACCORD
Despite such worries, there were few signs of international accord on a way to halt the fighting, which erupted Wednesday when Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid.
President Bush, on a trip to Russia, said it was up to Hezbollah "to lay down its arms and to stop attacking." But Russian President Vladimir Putin urged a balanced approach by Israel and said it appeared the nation was pursuing wider goals than the return of abducted soldiers.
The West expects a drawn-out battle, the U.S. Embassy said it was looking into ways to get Americans in Lebanon to Cyprus. France said it had already decided to send a ferry from Cyprus to evacuate thousands of its nationals, and the British government said it was making contingency plans to protect its citizens.
In all, 34 people were killed in Lebanon on Saturday, police said. That raised the Lebanese death toll in the four-day Israeli offensive to 107, mostly civilians. On the Israeli side, at least 15 have been killed - four civilians and 11 soldiers.
