Health Minister: 600 civilians killed in Lebanon
Up to 600 civilians are believed to have been killed in the Israeli offensive in Lebanon, including as many as 200 still buried in the rubble of destroyed buildings, the health minister said tonight.
The toll was a large jump over previous Health Ministry reports of around 400 killed, which is based on the number of bodies received at Lebanese hospitals.
Lebanon state radio quoted Health Minister Muhammed Jawad Khalifeh as saying up to 600 were killed. He said 150-200 were believed to be still buried under destroyed buildings but were not reachable.
The Health Ministry count does not include 20 soldiers the Lebanese army has confirmed dead or 35 guerrillas whose deaths Hezbollah has acknowledged.
