Israel preparing for next round as raids test truce

JERUSALEM: Israel will examine the mistakes it made during the month-long Lebanon offensive in preparation for the “next round” of war, Defence Minister Amir Peretz said on Sunday.

“We will examine the issues that have been pointed out as failures,” a senior government official quoted Peretz as telling the weekly cabinet meeting. “We will put everything on the table. Our duty is to prepare for the next round,” he said, without elaborating.

Israel’s military and political leadership has faced rising criticism that it mismanaged the war in Lebanon, which left 161 Israelis dead, most of them soldiers. Despite a UN-brokered ceasefire that took effect on the ground in Lebanon last Monday, many in Israel believe that the country has not fought its last war.