July 21 (Reuters) – Here are developments in the Middle East.
* Israel calls up army reservists for possible major ground assault against Hizbollah in Lebanon
* U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will go to Mideast Sunday while resisting international pressure for immediate cease-fire between Israel, Hizbollah in Lebanon
* Three Hizbollah rockets crash into the northern Israeli city of Haifa, wounding 19 people. Other towns also hit
* Israeli troops launch small-scale raids in Lebanon to try to stop rocket attacks
* Israel’s military chief says the country’s forces have killed nearly 100 Hizbollah fighters in Lebanon during the 10-day offensive
* Four Israeli soldiers are killed in fierce battles with Hizbollah guerrillas inside Lebanon
* Lebanon’s defense minister says the army, which has not fought so far despite losing a score of soldiers in Israeli air strikes, would defend the country against any invasion
* Fleeing bombardment that has forced up to half a million Lebanese from their homes, thousands of foreigners reach Cyprus
* Washington supports an expanded international security force on Israel’s border with Lebanon but details not fixed, a U.S. official says
* U.N. relief agencies call for urgent access to south Lebanon to get medical aid and food to tens of thousands of people driven from their homes by Israeli bombing
* Israel tells visiting U.N. mission it will not negotiate with Hizbollah through third parties, as in the past, for release of its captured soldiers
* Hizbollah says it loses two of its fighters in clashes
* Fighting has killed at least 345 people in Lebanon, mainly civilians. Nineteen Israeli soldiers and 15 civilians have died
* Hizbollah leader repeats demand that Israel swap prisoners for two Israeli soldiers captured on July 12
* American evacuees will transit Turkey in the coming days to ease the burden on Cyprus, the U.S. Embassy said
* In Gaza, Israeli shelling kills Hamas militant and four civilians, as tanks and troops withdraw from refugee camp after three-day assault
There will also be a US congressional delegation lead by Denny Hastert going to Lebanon within the next few days, and including one of the Lebanese-American reps who sponsored the conference a few days ago calling for an end to the violence in Lebanon.
And the Italians will host a conference on the crisis in Rome next week, which Rice will attend, along with EU, US, Lebanese, Saudi and Egyptian reps. Syrians and Iranians not invited.