>>>Click into special report: Mideast Crisis

Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz on Thursday evening ordered the army to prepare for a new phase of its military offensive in southern Lebanon to push the area of its control to Lebanon's Litani River, Channel Two television reported.

Peretz has asked the army to prepare for a possible push north to Lebanon's Litani River, about 30 kilometers from the border, to stop Hezbollah rocket fire, said the TV report.

Peretz's spokesman confirmed that the army has received orders from the Defense Minister to prepare for an eventual seizure of southern Lebanon up to the Litani River.

Such an operation means extending Israel's control past the security zone it used to hold before its withdrawal in May 2000. Reports reaching here from Beirut said Israeli planes on Thursday dropped flyers on southern part of the Lebanese capital, near the international airport, urging civilians to leave as "bombing of the area would be extended".

Photo taken on August 3, 2006 shows a car damaged by Hezbollah rockets in northern Israel. Eight people were killed and dozens wounded in massive rocket attacks by Lebanese Hezbollah on northern Israel on Thursday, local media said. (Xinhua Photo)

Peretz's decision was made in response to the Hezbollah rocket attacks Thursday which claimed some eight people's lives in northern Israel, newspaper Ha'aretz quoted military officials as saying, adding the move still requires the approval of the security cabinet and need a further call-up of reservist soldiers. Meanwhile, dozens more wounded in a massive rocket barrage on northern towns Thursday afternoon.

Three Israeli soldiers were also killed on Thursday in heavy fighting with Hezbollah guerillas in southern Lebanon. Israeli police reported that 130 rockets were fired into Israel within 90 minutes on Thursday afternoon.

Five were killed in Acre when a rocket hit a nearby home while residents stood on a balcony and three others were killed in rocket attacks near Ma'alot.

Violence between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah erupted on July 12 after Hezbollah guerillas captured two Israeli soldiers and killed eight during cross-border attacks.

Israel has waged a 23-day-old massive assault in Lebanon and expanded its ground operations while Hezbollah has showered Israel with rockets.

In a video statement to a meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) on Thursday, Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said that over 900 people had been killed and about 3,000 people wounded in Israel's over-three-week-old offensive. On the Israeli side, over 60 Israelis have also been killed in the conflict, according to media counts.

Photo taken on August 3, 2006 shows a car damaged by Hezbollah rockets in northern Israel. (Xinhua Photo)

Editor: Yan