Five civilians died and 69 others were injured in Israeli attacks on Lebanon Friday, raising to 62 the death toll since the start of the offensive two days ago.
Three died in attacks on Beirut's southern suburbs and the fourth in the southern town of Bent Jbail when a missile hit a house.
Throughout the day Israeli forces launched more attacks, on Beirut airport as well as bridges and roads in the south of the country. A woman was killed and six other civilians, including three paramedics, injured in a strike on a bridge over the river Zahrani bridge, near the main coastal city of Sidon.
In Israel, at least 11 people have been injured when Lebanese gunners fired more than 70 rockets from Lebanon into northern Israel. Ten people were wounded, one seriously, when a salvo of rockets hit the northern town of Safed in the early afternoon, an Israeli military source said Friday, according to AFP.
A second wave of rockets hit Nahariya in the early afternoon, causing material damage but no casualties, the military source said. Several Katyusha rockets also landed near army bases and outposts close to the border with Lebanon but did not cause casualties or damage.
Meanwhile, US President George W. Bush has called Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora, voicing support for the government and pledging to press Israel to limit the damage caused by its attacks. "President Bush asserted that he will exert pressure on Israel to limit damage inflicted on Lebanon through the ongoing military operation," according to the statement from Siniora's office that was issued on Friday.
It added Bush vowed to help Lebanese "civilian residents and innocent people."
In the phone call to Siniora, Bush "expressed his support, esteem and backing for the recent positions of the Lebanese government," a Lebanese official told AFP.
