Thursday, July 13 2006 17:21 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Beirut: At least 31 civilians were killed and 56 wounded in the continuing Israeli air offensive against Hezbollah targets in the Lebanese capital's southern suburbs Thursday.

The dead in the air-strikes - launched Wednesday morning in response to the abduction of two Israeli soldiers and the killing of eight others by the Shiite Hezbollah movement - included at least 10 children, Lebanese police said. Hezbollah sources confirmed to sources that a secondary station for its al-Manar television channel was also hit in southern Beirut. In retaliation, Hezbollah guerrillas fired another barrage of Katyusha rockets on the northern Israeli town of Naharaya. At least one Israeli woman was reported killed and several people injured before residents along Israel's northern border were ordered into bomb shelters. "The air-strikes came as Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's security cabinet overnight approved a massive aerial campaign against Lebanon, targeting mostly Hezbollah but also some government infrastructure," Israeli media reported. Israel has said it holds the Lebanese government responsible for the abduction Wednesday morning of the two soldiers by Hezbollah, which sparked the deadliest fighting along the border since Israel ended its 22-year occupation of southern Lebanon six years ago. Israel said the Beirut airport was targeted because the Lebanese government allowed Hezbollah to use it unhindered for transporting arms and equipment to its armed wing.