Israel's political-security cabinet voted in the early hours of Tuesday morning to expand ground operation in south Lebanon. Under the plan, and similar to last week's operation carried out in Bint Jbail, Israeli forces will carry out raids on many villages in the area. According to Haaretz, the plan was presented to PM Ehud Olmert during meetings held Saturday with Defense Minister Amir Peretz and defense establishment heads.
The cabinet voted nearly unanimously in favor of the plan, with none opposed and one abstention.
Israeli political sources said on Monday that the UN Security Council would call for a cease-fire on Friday that would take effect starting Saturday. The fighting, however, may continue for a few more days, the sources estimated.
