Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Tuesday that Israel would continue a seven-day-old massive assault in Lebanon until two Israeli soldiers taken hostage by Lebanon's Hizbollah guerillas were released and rocket attacks on Israel halt.

"Israel will continue fighting Hizbollah and will continue targeting the group's strongholds until the captured soldiers are set free and Israelis are safe from rocket attacks," Olmert said in a statement after meeting a UN special team sent to the region in a bid to defuse an escalating crisis between Israel and Hizbollah.

On Monday, Olmert spelled out conditions for Israel's halt of its offensive in Lebanon -- the return of the hostages, a full ceasefire, the deployment of Lebanese soldiers in southern Lebanon and the disarmament of Hizbollah.

Earlier on Tuesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni also told the UN team that despite ongoing diplomatic efforts, Israel would not give up military operations to halt Hizbollah rocket attacks and ensure the release of the kidnapped soldiers and the deployment of the Lebanese army in south Lebanon.

The UN team has just wrapped up a visit to Lebanon and Vijay Nambiar, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's special political adviser and head of the UN team said in Beirut on Monday that he was optimistic about finding a solution to end the crisis.

But he also cautioned that much diplomatic work needed to be done.

The senior UN envoy also said that the UN team would discuss " concrete ideas" with Israel in a bid to calm the situation.

The UN team has voiced support to the Lebanese government's call for a ceasefire and UN chief Annan has stepped up efforts to send an international stabilization force to southern Lebanon.

Violence erupted when the Lebanese Shiite group Hizbollah kidnapped two Israeli soldiers and killed eight during cross- border attacks on July 12.

In response, Israel launched a massive assault in Lebanon and put the country under effective air, land and sea blockade.

Source: Xinhua