Israel criticized for civilian toll as diplomatic efforts gear up

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Israeli warplanes hit fleeing Lebanese civilians Sunday, and Hezbollah militants lobbed rockets at townspeople across northern Israel, even as diplomatic efforts began to gain traction.

Israel for the first time signaled willingness to accept an international military force to quell the violence, although there was no immediate consensus on its composition. The evacuation of American and other foreign nationals from bloodied Lebanon, meanwhile, appeared to have peaked.

Stunned at the destruction wrought in Beirut, the United Nations' top humanitarian official condemned the Israeli raids and pleaded for safe passage of emergency supplies for more than 700,000 Lebanese displaced by 12 days of sustained Israeli bombardment aimed at destroying Hezbollah positions.

Despite steady airstrikes, which on Sunday pounded the southern suburbs of Beirut, the port of Sidon and areas around the southern town of Tyre, Israel has not managed to silence Hezbollah rocket fire. Two people were killed Sunday in the Israeli city of Haifa and a dozen injured around northern Israel in repeated Hezbollah barrages.

Jan Egeland, the U.N.'s top official for humanitarian relief, said civilians in both Lebanon and Israel were "paying a disproportionate price," but said the punishment inflicted on the Lebanese was especially harsh.

Egeland decried what he said "seems to be an excessive use of force" in southern Beirut and warned that civilian casualties will mount horrifically at the current pace of violence.

A senior Israeli official said the government regretted the "tragic" loss of life in Lebanon and said the military was instructed to avoid civilian casualties but that Hezbollah often fights from inside population centers.

"In modern warfare, unfortunately, you're seeing here a state, a modern liberalized democratic state, confronting a terrorist organization, which operates from within civilian communities and doesn't have any rules to abide by," Cabinet minister Isaac Herzog said in a CNN interview. He added that "people are sleeping with the missile launchers, and the missiles themselves in the living room."

Foreign-ministry officials from France, Britain and Germany met Sunday with Israeli leaders in Jerusalem on the eve of the expected arrival of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. After initially rebuffing the idea, Israel on Sunday said it would consider deployment of an international stabilization force on the border.

Defense Minister Amir Peretz said Israel would prefer that NATO troops be involved, and also said such a force should be tasked with stemming weapons-smuggling from Syria. Later, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was reported to have made a similar offer, as long as the multinational force had combat experience and real authority.

Bush administration officials said Sunday they were taking the proposal of a NATO force seriously. White House chief of staff Joshua Bolten, however, cautioned that both Hezbollah and Syria needed to show willingness to cease hostilities.

Bolten and other officials said the U.S. was skeptical about offers from Syrian officials to engage in talks to resolve the situation.

"There's going to have to be a pretty strong showing from the Syrians of genuine interest in withdrawing their long-standing support for Hezbollah, which is responsible for a good portion of this crisis," Bolten said.

Olmert also offered Sunday to hold direct talks with the Lebanese government, after last week rejecting a plea for a cease-fire from Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.

"We have no war with the Lebanese people, and we have no intention to harm their quality of life," Olmert told his Cabinet at its Sunday meeting. He called Siniora "a partner for dialogue."

Saudi Arabia added its voice to demands that the Bush administration push for an immediate cease-fire.