An Israeli government probe into last summer’s war in Lebanon accused the country’s wartime leaders of "very severe failures" in their handling of the conflict, fuelling calls for the resignation of Ehud Olmert, the Prime Minister.

Upon receiving the report, Mr Olmert promised that "failures will be remedied."

The long-awaited report report capped a six-month investigation by Eliahu Winograd, a retired judge, into the war, which has been widely perceived as a failure by the Israeli public.

Israel went to war after Hezbollah guerrillas killed three soldiers and captured two others in a cross-border raid. In 34 days of fighting, Israel failed to return the captured soldiers, destroy Hezbollah or prevent the group from firing thousands of rockets into Israel.

Monday’s report included tough criticism of Mr Olmert as well as Amir Peretz, the Defence Minister, and the then army chief Lieutenant-General Dan Halutz. Uniquely in Israeli history, neither Mr Olmert nor Mr Peretz come from a military background.

The report said that Mr Olmert launched the war too hastily and did not have a comprehensive plan in place, criticized Mr Peretz for his inexperience and lack of familiarity with the army, and said General Halutz "acted impulsively" and misrepresented the army’s readiness.

"We establish that these decisions and the way they were taken suffered from the most severe failures. We put the responsibility for these failures on the prime minister, the defence minister and the former chief of staff," said Mr Winograd, reading the report's conclusions.

"If any one of them had acted in a different, better way, the decisions and the way they were made in the period in question, as well as the results of the campaign, would have been different and better," he said.

Although Mr Olmert’s popularity has plummeted as a result of the war and a series of scandals plaguing his government, he appears likely to remain in office for the time being.

He already has said he will not resign, and his coalition partners want to avoid an upheaval that could lead to new elections and cost them their own jobs.

Mr Olmert was scheduled to meet with ministers from his centrist Kadima Party later today.

Israel went to war hours after the July 12 kidnapping. Relying heavily on massive airstrikes recommended by his army chief, Mr Olmert pledged at the time that Israel would crush Hezbollah and force the return of the captured soldiers.

Neither goal was accomplished. Instead, Hezbollah pounded northern Israel with nearly 4,000 rockets, halting only after a UN-brokered cease-fire was imposed. Israel launched a late, costly ground offensive just as the Security Council neared completion of its cease-fire resolution.

In 34 days of fighting, between 1,035 and 1,191 Lebanese civilians and combatants were killed, as were 119 Israeli soldiers and 39 civilians, according to official figures from the two sides.

The report covers the first six days of the war, when Israel battered Lebanon with massive airstrikes as Hezbollah pounded Israel with rockets. The report also looks at developments in the six years leading up to the conflict, beginning with Israel’s pullout from southern Lebanon in 2000 and tracing Hezbollah’s buildup along the border. The commission’s final report, looking at the entire war, is scheduled for release this summer.

The Winograd panel does not have the authority to fire officials, but the scathing report could

Despite calls from both ends of the political spectrum for him to resign, Mr Olmert’s aides have said that he has no intention of quitting.

If he loses support within Kadima, Tzipi Livni, the Foreign Minister, has emerged as the leading contender to replace him.

If the Government collapses altogether and new elections are held, opinion polls predict that Benjamin Netanyahu, the hawkish former prime minister from the Likud party, would sweep to power.

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