BBC
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has ordered the army to prepare to expand its ground offensive in Lebanon, Israeli officials have said.
The move came as diplomats at the UN continued to try to reach a deal on a resolution to end the fighting.
The Israeli ambassador to the UN said Israel was still involved in the talks, despite Mr Olmert's order.
Israel radio said troops had been ordered to seize ground as far as the strategic Litani River.
The report suggested Mr Olmert and Defence Minister Amir Peretz had decided that efforts to reach an agreement at the UN had so far failed.
The plan to expand ground operations was approved on Wednesday but put on hold by Mr Olmert to give more time for diplomacy to bear fruit.
The BBC's Rob Norris in Jerusalem says the announcement could be an act of brinkmanship as the talks in New York reach a crucial stage.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is at the UN headquarters to try to bridge differences over a draft US-French text introduced last Saturday.
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