The Israeli Cabinet decided after four hours of deliberations to approve the expansion of ground activities in Lebanon. The decision was supported by all Cabinet members except Minister Eli Yishai of the Shas party who opposed the timing and said that the air strikes must be exhausted first.
Cabinet ministers said that we are talking about a large and substantial offensive covering the entire region. The action will focus on southern Lebanon and is not limited by time or by range.
The ministers left the meeting with the impression that there were still enough days of fighting left to achieve the goals of the offensive.
The assessment is that the discussions at the UN Security Council will not end by the end of this week, and even after that Israel will still have a few days of fighting left before the ceasefire will take effect.