2006年VOA标准英语-Israel Says Fighting Will Continue Until Peacek

By Jim Teeple
Jerusalem
02 August 2006

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says Israel will not stop its offensive in Lebanon, until an international peacekeeping force is in place in southern Lebanon. Mr. Olmert's comments come as Hezbollah militants¹ launched more than 80 rockets against northern Israel.

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Relatives mourn Lebanese victim Hassan Awad Jamaleddin, 21, one of seven villagers killed in attack by Israeli warplane missiles   
  
Hezbollah rockets landed all across northern Israel, Wednesday, falling as far south as the city of Beit Shean, south of the Sea of Galilee, along Israel's border with Jordan, 70 kilometers south of the Lebanese border.

The rocket attacks came as thousands of Israeli ground troops are battling Hezbollah militants, inside southern Lebanon.

Israel has also resumed air strikes across Lebanon, after suspending most strikes for 48 hours when more than 50 Lebanese civilians² - many of them children - were killed in an Israeli strike against the town of Qana, Sunday.

Prime Minister Olmert said Wednesday that Israel will keep fighting in Lebanon until international peacekeepers arrive there to take up positions previously³ occupied by Hezbollah militants. 

Ehud Olmert (file photo)   
  
"Israel will stop fighting when the international force will be present in the southern part of Lebanon," he said. "We cannot stop before then because, if there is no presence of a very effective robust⁴ military international force, Hezbollah will be there and we will have achieved nothing. Therefore this is the most important and significant line from where we can think of a cease-fire."

Israeli leaders say they think a ceasefire can be reached within weeks. However, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said, Tuesday, she believes a ceasefire could be reached within days. American officials say they expect the U.N. Security Council to take action this week on an international peacekeeping force.

European Union Foreign ministers have pledged to support a peacekeeping force by supplying troops. They also called for an immediate⁵ end to hostilities⁶.

Meanwhile, Israeli commandoes returned to their bases, early Wednesday, following a raid on the eastern Lebanese city, Baalbek, near the Syrian border. Baalbek is about 100 kilometers north of the Litani River, which Israel describes as the northern boundary in its current campaign to drive Hezbollah militants out of southern Lebanon. Israel says several Hezbollah militants were captured in the raid, in which Israeli forces also destroyed an Iranian-built hospital as well as several bridges near the historic city.

1 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

2 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

3 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

4 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

5 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

6 hostilities   

n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事

参考例句：

• Mexico called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 墨西哥要求立即停止敌对行动。
• All the old hostilities resurfaced when they met again. 他们再次碰面时，过去的种种敌意又都冒了出来。