Elsewhere, the news from the occupied Palestine reported that "Israel's" Military Intelligence said: "It's time to withdraw from South Lebanon". Also, the reports said "Israel" asked for US intelligence aid to encounter the Islamic Resistance (IR) operations.

 "Israel" hits villages despite warnings

Air raids on the increase to ‘train pilots, avoid casualties’
"Israeli" warplanes staged two air raids against villages in Iqleem Al-Toffah in the morning, damaging houses and electricity networks, hours after the five-nation monitoring group again urged the Jewish state to avoid targeting civilian areas."

'The reason for the raids was unclear but came as a further indication that the "Israelis" are relying increasingly on air power to combat the resistance, with a record number of strikes so far this year".

'Two "Israeli" warplanes fired four air-to-surface missiles at the villages of Mlita and Loweizeh on the edge of the occupation zone at 8.30am. Ninety minutes later, the jets returned and fired another four missiles into the same area."

"Security sources said missiles had struck Loweizeh's eastern edge, damaging six houses, the electricity grid and roads. At the same time, Israeli artillery shelled areas around Maidoun and Ain Tineh, western Beqaa."

"So far this year, the Israeli air force has conducted a total of 79 air raids on Lebanon ­ a sharp increase over recent years. The number has grown steadily from 21 in 1990 to 90 in 1997."

"In past years, the "Israelis" have used air raids in direct retaliation for guerrilla operations, often in a bid to hit fighters departing the zone. However, several times this year ­ including ­ the air strikes have been pre-emptive with no apparent target in mind."

“They have an aversion to military casualties and air raids are a safe, if usually ineffective, way of hitting guerrillas,” a senior security source said. “The raids also provide good training for their pilots. Instead of blowing up parts of the Negev, they can target guerrillas here.”

"The increase over the past year also reflects the ever-shifting tactics used by both sides. Last year, the "Israeli" army began making greater use of its special forces to ambush fighters infiltrating the zone."

"To counter this threat, Hizbullah reverted to long-range mortar and Katyusha attacks against "Israeli" posts and made more use of roadside bombs. This has led to a record number of operations against "Israeli" troops in past months but fewer close-quarter ground battles."

"The logical "Israeli" response was to return to air operations, the source said. But while air raids might minimize casualties, the organizational structure of Hizbullah provides few tangible targets for warplanes."

""Israeli" army spokesmen frequently allude to warplanes targeting “terror bases” in the Iqlim al-Touffah, as they did. Yet, Hizbullah operate in tightly-knit cells in the villages and have no bases in the Iqleem Al-Toffah."

“The "Israeli" air force claim they are best suited to attacking guerrillas in the hope of receiving a budget increase. In reality, all they do in their air raids is crush stones,” the source said… (1)

"Last night, "Israeli" occupation troops set up a road block on the approach to Arnoun, checking each car that passed, while a patrol conducted a door-to-door search of the village."

"Security sources said that the occupation soldiers abducted Ali Ghazal, 45, and took him to Khiam."

"Arnoun, 5km east of Nabatieh, is not technically inside the occupation zone but falls within a no-mans-land beneath the "Israeli" position at Beaufort castle. The residents are subject to routine harassment by "Israeli" occupation troops who enter the village at will."

"In Naqoura, AUMG affirmed that "Israeli" occupation troops violated the April Understanding when it shelled the town of Mashghara wounding a civilian woman and damaging five houses in the town."

"The monitoring group, which has Lebanese, Syrian, French, American and "Israeli" members, issued a statement calling on the "Israeli" entity and its collaborators to observe the 1996 understanding which prohibits targeting civilians."

"Israel" has also violated the understanding when its forces shelled the Mansouri crossroad" the panel said.

The understanding ended a large-scale Israeli aggression on Lebanon in 1996. It bars attacks on civilians… (2)

In its communiqué, the Islamic Resistance recorded the following "Israeli" aggressions (3):
7:35, the warplanes crisscrossed throughout South Lebanon in general and over Western Sector in particular.
8:20, Zaffateh compound hit Aqmata area with three 155mm missiles.
8:30, the "Israeli" fighters staged two sorties on Mlita Hill firing two air-to-ground rockets and on the perimeters of Loweizeh village where they fired two others. The raids caused damages to the houses of Mohammad Hachem, Youssef Hachem, Mohammad Ali Hussein, Mustafa Haidar, Rida Haidar and Ibrahim Farhat, the shop of Abdallah Hachem and the electricity network at Loweizeh. At the same time, the warplanes circled in the airspace of Western Beqaa, when on the other hand one 155mm missile emanating from Zaffateh compound struck Mlita village.
8:50, the helicopters hovered over Mount-Al Rafih.
Between 10:00 and 10:25, Rihan emplacement pounded Mount-Al Rafih with eighteen 120mm shells.
10:25, the "Israeli" jets flew over the areas of Western Sector.
11:00, an M.K. surveillance aircraft soared over Jezzine region.
11:05, the warplanes flew in the airspace of Central Sector, Nabatieh and Iqleem Al-Toffah regions.
11:10, the warplanes raided twice into Aqmata area, whereas an M.K. surveillance aircraft hovered in the airspace of Western Beqaa.
11:15, the jet airplanes circled over Western Sector of South Lebanon.
11:30, the "Israeli" jets circled, at middle altitude, over Central Sector.
13:45, an M.K. reconnaissance aircraft soared in the airspace of Baalback, Chmestar, and Western Mountain Series.
16:00, the helicopters hovered over Iqleem Al-Toffah region.
19:00, Beit Yahoun outpost showered its surroundings with 12.7mm heavy machine gun fire.
19:20, Rihan emplacement targeted Mount-Sojod with three 120mm shells and Tasseh Well with one 155mm missile, whereas Bir Kallab outpost combed its surroundings with a barrage of 12.7mm heavy machine gun rounds.
19:45, Mazraat Hamra hit Shraifeh position with one 155mm missile.
19:50, Baraasheit outpost unleashed two 81mm shells at its surroundings, when on the other hand, Rihan emplacement fired four 120mm shells at Tasseh Well.
20:00, the old Beit Yahoun and raked its surroundings with a volley of 12.7mm heavy machine gun rounds.
20:05, Meis El-Jabal emplacement shelled the area between Haddatha and Haris with a number of 155mm missiles.
20:20, three 60mm shells originating from Haddatha compound struck its surroundings.
20:30, Tasseh Well watercourse exposed to one 120mm shell emanating from Rihan emplacement. Meanwhile, the warplanes flew in the airspace of Western Mountain Series.
21:00, Mount-Sojod subjected to one 155mm shell originating from Zaffateh compound.
22:10, Baraasheit compound fired two 81mm shells at the outskirts of Baraasheit and Beit Yahoun villages and three 60mm shells at the peripheries of Baraasheit.
23:45, the warplanes flew high in the airspace of Beirut.

Former Head of "Israeli" Military Intelligence: It's time to withdraw from South Lebanon… (4)
"Former head of "Israeli" military intelligence Uri Sefi said the presence of the "Israeli" occupation forces in Lebanon has turned into a "new holocaust"."

"If this presence does not guarantee reaching a comprehensive solution with the Syrians and calm on the northern borders, the situation will drag on as such, Sefi told the French Jewish daily La Tribune de Juiffe."

"The (Israeli) government must realize very well that it is time to take the decision of withdrawal from south Lebanon", he said.

"If we are to acknowledge for the sake of argument that we should not give up to the pressures of the Lebanese resistance and Syria, we have to start redeployment in the (occupied) zone, in the Jezzine enclave, the Sojod area and Rihan, in particular", he added.

"Israel" Asked for US "Intelligence Aid" to Confront Resistance Operations… (5)
"Israel" has asked the US government to provide it with "intelligence aid" to confront the attacks of Hizbullah and other Lebanese resistance groups in south Lebanon."

"The "Israeli" request was presented through the secret contact channels between Israeli intelligence (Mossad) and US intelligence, especially CIA and the Defensive Security Agency."

"Israel" has acknowledged defects in its security and intelligence abilities in south Lebanon; this made its forces vulnerable to successful attacks by the Lebanese resistance in the last months", US sources said.

"It has become obvious to the "Israeli" northern command that the Lebanese resistance had enhanced its ability to know the timing of the movements and patrols of the "Israeli" forces in south Lebanon, the American sources added tracing this fact back to considerable cooperation by Lebanese civilians with the resistance while gathering information (espionage) by the "Israeli" army is getting more difficult."

"Israel's" request for assistance from US intelligence can be interpreted as:
"First, providing the "Israeli" army with more advanced electronic espionage equipment for use in south Lebanon."

"Second, "Israeli" access to the data obtained by American satellites on south Lebanon."

IR Operations… (6)
In its communiqué, the IR announced the responsibility of the following attacks:
19:45, the IR men observed enemy movements near the old Beit Yahoun outpost. Then, the group of martyr Saeid El-Ali targeted it with the proper weapons chalking up certain goals.
21:00, the IR militants spotted military vehicles entering Sojod outpost. Then, the squad of two martyrs Hassan Salman Krayem and Mortada Rammal attacked them with the machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades scoring direct and definite hits.

Hrawi: We must Support the Resistance with all our Might… (7)
"President Elias Hrawi stressed that the Resistance in the south stands as an honor for all the Lebanese people and that all must participate in it."

"We must support the resistance with all our might because it's an honor for all Lebanese. It mustn't be restricted to one side or another but everyone must participate, Hrawi said during a meeting with released freedom fighter Soha Bshara who visited him at Baabda."

"Some people outside the country mix between resistance and terrorism in an attempt to portray the security situation in the country as unstable", he added.

FTR: Efforts must Procceed until all the Detainees are Freed… (8)
"Faithfulness to the Resistance (FTR) bloc held its periodical meeting today. The session was presided by the head of FTR MP Sayyed Ibrahim Amin Al-Sayyed."

"The bloc commended "the heroes of the Islamic Resistance who are bravely confronting the "Israeli" invading forces in the south and the western Beqaa, planting bitter feelings of frustration and defeat in the ranks of the occupation's troops and officers, thus paving the way for an unconditional coercive withdrawal which will take place sooner or later."

"The Insarieh confrontation forced the enemy to subdue to the Resistance's logic in the latest swap operation which has raised the hopes of the Lebanese people of all affiliations and proven the ability to defeat aggression besides the correctness of relying on the Resistance to liberate the land, expel the invaders and free all the detainees in "Israeli" prisons", an FTR communiqué read.