Lebanese Decry Israel Economic War

BEIRUT — With Israel focusing its blistering air strikes on factories, firms, construction sites, bridges and roads, the vast majority of Lebanese are certain the enemy is trying to destroy their country not simply secure the release of two soldiers taken prisoners.

"This is an economic war," Sami Salman, director of Transmediterranean food distribution company, told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

"There is no need for delusions because there is a systematic destruction of industrial infrastructure in Lebanon," he insists.

Salman's company, one of the largest suppliers in Lebanon, was struck by Israeli missiles on Tuesday, July 19.

"The businesses affected have absolutely nothing to do with Hizbullah," he stressed.

The Israeli air force has also destroyed Lebanon's largest dairy, located in the east of the country.

Israel has been waging a massive air, sea and ground offensive against Lebanon since July 12, killing more than 300 people, the sweeping majority of whom are civilians, and wounded hundreds others.

Beirut international airport has been knocked out, ports bombed, bridges destroyed, power stations set ablaze and houses turned to rubble.

Around 15 petrol stations have been blown up, along with fuel depots and water pumping stations.

The onslaught has also left Lebanon virtually cut off from the outside world with an Israeli air and sea blockade.

The highway from Beirut to the Syrian capital Damascus was cut after being repeatedly hit in recent days.

Starving

With international aid agencies warning of a humanitarian crisis, trapped families are desperately stocking up on food and emergency supplies.

"Israel is launching its offensive in order to starve the Lebanese," Social Affairs Minister Nayal Moawad said.

In some villages in the south, it is already too late -- the shelves have been stripped bare, and officials say babies are already showing signs of malnutrition.

"Were having problems with the malnutrition of babies," said Freddy Yarak, an advisor to the social affairs ministry.

People in Ain Abel, a southern village, called for urgent help this week saying they were already suffering food shortages.

And in the border town of Alma Al-Cha'ib, Mayor Nicolas Farah urged aid organizations to help "the villagers under siege" who are short of medicines, bread and water.

Israel's bombardment has dramatically hit supplies being ferried into the country by truck.

Four lorries destroyed by Israeli air raids near the Christian town of Zahle in Lebanon's Bekaa valley on Tuesday, July 18, were carrying nothing but medicines and food provisions, an AFP correspondent witnessed.

An Israeli military spokesman claimed the lorries had been carrying arms, munitions and explosives from Syria bound for Hizbullah fighters in the Bekaa valley.

"Israel is legally obliged to permit free passage of materials essential for civilians and to protect humanitarian personnel delivering those supplies," said the US-based Human Rights Watch.

Local Lebanese have little faith that supplies will be allowed to flow.

"This is a movie we have already seen, in 1982," the year when western Beirut lived through a blockade imposed by the Israeli army, construction company employee Mustafa Ahmed told AFP.

"We were cut off from the world for 89 days," he said, recalling how he ate tinned sardines and foraged for food. "And we are still here."