Tens of thousands of Israeli troops amassed along Israel-Lebanon border Wednesday evening, preparing for the widest and deepest ground incursion into its north neighbor since the Israel-Hezbollah conflict started in June.

Some 7,000 Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops were operating in the southern Lebanon on Wednesday to fight with Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas in several villages while maintain positions along a 10- km-deep security zone, local newspaper The Jerusalem Post reported.

Another 40,000 IDF troops and reservists were waiting along the northern border in preparation for further advance to the Litani River, about 20 km from the Israeli border, the report said.

The Israeli security cabinet on Wednesday approved expanding the army's ground operations in south Lebanon, under which thousands of IDF troops will head up to the Litani River in an effort to halt Hezbollah's incessant rocket attacks, the post said.

The IDF estimated that the area between the Litani River and the security zone that military forces are currently holding is home to 70 percent of the Katyusha rockets launched at the northern Israel.

The go-ahead for the expansion of the ground offensive was made after a six-hour closed-door meeting of the security cabinet which gathered 12 top Israeli ministers. Nine of the 12 ministers voted for it while the other three abstained.

The Israeli move came against a backdrop of stepped-up diplomatic efforts to put an end to the violence.

UN Security Council is now working on a revised draft resolution over the Lebanon crisis. No vote is expected before Thursday.

Over 100 Israelis and about 1,000 Lebanese have been killed in the 29 days of violence which broke out on July 12 following the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah guerillas in cross- border attacks.

Source: Xinhua