Israel bombards Lebanon and
threatens Syria
• Eight Israeli soldiers killed in combat • Israelis kill nine members of a family in Gaza

BEIRUT, July 12.—Israeli military forces have penetrated into southern Lebanon, while their U.S.-manufactured hunters attacked some 20 civilian locations and installations under the pretext of punishing those responsible for the death of eight of their soldiers and rescuing a further two from Hizbollah guerrillas.

A possible extension of the crisis was announced by Israeli Premier Ehud Olmert, who announced that the army is also to attack Syria, whose government it is accusing of supporting the Muslim grouping.

Olmert stated that "the Lebanon will suffer the consequences," prompting the Beirut government to call for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council to study the Israeli aggression, ANSA reports.

From Beirut, AFP reported that the Shiite Lebanese Hizbollah announced in a communiqué that it had bombarded the command center of the Galilee contingent in Branit with artillery and rockets, in reprisal for constant Israeli aggression.

The death of eight Israeli soldiers in confrontations with Hizbollah forces in Lebanon has been confirmed.

In its turn, AFP reported that nine members of a Palestinian family were killed today in an aerial attack on a residential building in Gaza.

Meanwhile, an Israeli aircraft attacked the Palestinian Foreign Ministry in Gaza city in the early hours of this Thursday.