I know mosty Israelis want to be recognised and left alone, and so do most Lebanese. Both Hezbollah and the Israeli government are locked into a catch 22 of retribution and revenge, because both see the other side as the ones at fault. Suicide bombing on one side, flights into Lebanese territory, bombings and sonic booms on the other side. While the governments of both sides believe the only solution is military, the war will continue.

both sides refuse to look at their own culpability.

Meanwhile, [from the BBC] firing across the border has continued by Israel and Hezbollah. An Israeli air strike has closed the main border crossing from Lebanon into Syria, witnesses and officials say. Missiles hit the road between the two states' immigration posts, but on the Lebanese side, the reports said. A separate strike wounded two more UN monitors in their observation post, days after four were killed. the UN still has "serious concerns" about the incident, which happened despite repeated UN pleas for the Israelis to stop firing.

The UN says some 600 people - about a third of them children - have been killed by Israeli action in Lebanon. They include a mother and her five children killed in a new wave of Israeli air raids in southern Lebanon, Lebanese medics said. Israel said it was investigating.

Hezbollah has continued firing hundreds of rockets into Israel - several hit the northern Israel town of Safed on Saturday. In a new message, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said more central Israeli cities would be targeted if the Israeli offensive continued.

A total of 51 Israelis, including at least 18 civilians, have been killed during the conflict.

Meanwhile, Israeli military sources have indicated that the fighting could intensify.

Earlier, Israel rejected a UN call for a three-day truce in southern Lebanon.

The UN said children, the elderly and disabled people were trapped and supplies were short, but Israel said there was no need for a truce as a humanitarian corridor to the area had been opened.