05 August 2006
Israeli Commandos Raid Lebanese City of Tyrehttp://www.voanews.com/english/2006-08-05-voa12.cfm Israeli commandos have stormed an apartment complex in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre, trying to capture or kill leaders of a local Hezbollah unit they believe had been firing long-range rockets into Israel. At least five people have been killed, including a Lebanese soldier, and the Israeli military says eight of its troops are wounded.
This is the first time since the conflict began that Israeli commandos are known to have been on the ground in Tyre. The attack follows a similar airborne raid in the city of Baalbek on Tuesday, when Israeli commandos stormed a disused hospital and took several Hezbollah captives.
It is clear that the military activity around Tyre is far from over. A few hours after the raid here, another two rockets struck near the city center, killing two men on a moped. Heavy shelling around town has continued.
One of the bombs dropped during the raid destroyed the main road leading out of Tyre toward the north. That will seriously complicate efforts to bring aid shipments into the city by road.
Food and aid for the devastated Lebanese citizens is arriving in the port of Tyre . . .04 Aug 2006 16:38:00 GMT
Shipping relief to LebanonSource: British Red Cross Society - UK
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/fromthefield/216872/123c858c1ba050bf3bb63daeb8354dea.htmRed Cross relief supplies are reaching southern Lebanon through the port of Tyre for the first time as the conflict continues in the Middle East.
Aid has been arriving in Tyre from the Red Cross continuously throughout the crisis but it has previously been shipped into Beirut and then transported in convoys of trucks over mountain roads. Being able to ship aid directly into the port of Tyre will drastically cut down the time it takes for aid to get to those who most need it.
Speaking from Tyre, Red Cross spokesperson Roland Huguenin said: "The Red Cross has now commissioned a boat in Cyprus, which is the only boat able to come into the harbour, and this has docked twice in Tyre so far this week. Hopefully the ship should be able to travel back and forth every other day."
Speaking from Tyre, Red Cross spokesperson Roland Huguenin said:
"Many of these people have lived for two weeks with very little food, no access to running water and no electricity. They have no fuel for their generators, so they cannot pump water into tanks. We saw craters in the road, wrecks of cars filled with dead bodies, extensive devastation and hundreds of people living terrified in basement shelters."