There were still occasional bombings around us early this morning, but fewer than before. Attempts to arrange a cease-fire were being ignored in Israel but they did agree to set up a “humanitarian corridor” from Cyprus. How and when was not clear.
An announcement on BBC World Service radio for British citizens in Lebanon said that the government was trying to arrange safe evacuation from south Lebanon. I called the British embassy to get advice. They knew no more than I did from the BBC news report but took my number and said they would call back. They never did. It was not clear why they did not coordinate with the UN, who had chartered a ship to come to Tyre the previous day.
Throughout the morning, there were regular bombings in a valley behind the house. Local television reports that Israeli military chiefs admitted that they had not broken the will or ability of Hezbollah seemed to be supported by continuing attacks on the same locations. The possibility of a large-scale invasion of the border area was raised again. Bombings continued in afternoon until about 4.00 p.m.
Jim Muir reporting from Tyre on the 9.00 p.m. BBC World Service TV news spoke of a mass burial in Tyre – but bodies had been gathered from all over south. In addition, there were reports of leaflets dropped on Tyre from by Israeli planes, telling those left in south Lebanon to move north of the Litani River. Our local information was that the leaflets found in Tyre were brought there from other villages in the south.
At 9 p.m., Al Jezeera TV reported Hassan Nasrullah saying that Hezbollah would let the Lebanese government decide about handing over two soldiers they had kidnapped.
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