Sports Calendar

BATTLE LINES

July 12 Hezbollah captures two Israeli soldiers and kills eight. Israel launches air strikes and sends ground troops into Lebanon

July 13 Israel bombs Beirut airport, kills at least 44 civilians in air strikes across Lebanon

July 14 Israel bombs Beirut home of Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah chief, who declares “open war” on Israel

July 19 At least 70 civilians killed in Lebanon

July 25 Israeli air raid kills four UN observers on Lebanese border

July 27 Israel steps up its air assault

July 29 Israel rejects UN call for three-day truce as Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, returns for talks

July 30 Twenty-eight Lebanese civilians killed in Israeli air strike on Qana. Lebanon demands immediate ceasefire

July 31 Israel declares 48-hour halt to air strikes on Lebanon

August 1 Israeli Cabinet approves army push 17 miles (30km) into Lebanon. Goal is to pave the way for an international force. Israel says that it cannot eliminate Hezbollah arsenal

August 2 Israelis seize five alleged Hezbollah militants and kill 16 civilians in Baalbek

August 4 At least 23 people, mostly Syrian, killed in Israeli raid at Qaa on Lebanese-Syrian border

August 6 Twelve Israeli soldiers die in rocket attack on Kfar Giladi, three civilians killed and 160 wounded in Haifa. UN Security Council debates Franco-US draft resolution

August 7 Israeli raids kill 69 Lebanese civilians; official Lebanese toll now more than 1,000 dead and around 3,500 wounded. Olmert says “no limits” imposed on army. Fouad Siniora, the Lebanese Prime Minister, demands changes to UN draft, seeks Israeli withdrawal, boosted UN force, Lebanese army deployment in south and disarmament of Hezbollah

August 10 Israeli tanks go deeper into Lebanon as troops seize border town of Marjayun and occupy Lebanese army barracks

August 11 Opinion polls show sharp drop in support among Israelis. UN peacekeepers evacuate hundreds of Lebanese security forces. Olmert orders army to prepare to launch expanded ground offensive

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