Israel has no aim to destroy Hizbollah

JERUSALEM, July 24: Israel's offensive in Lebanon is not aimed at destroying Hizbollah, only at preventing the guerrilla group returning to the border and attacking the Jewish state, a cabinet minister said today.

Public Security Minister Avi Dichter said it was up to the international community to help Lebanon apply the U N resolution that calls for Hizbollah to be disarmed.

Dichter's comments, reflecting a softer line than has been expressed by some Israeli officials, came amid growing international pressure on Israel to end the campaign it launched after Hizbollah abducted two soldiers in a raid on July 12.

''From an Israeli perspective, the target is not to totally dismantle Hizbollah,'' Dichter told reporters.

''What we are doing now is to try to send a message to Hizbollah and to the Lebanese government ... hoping that somehow we'll succeed in setting up a new situation between Israel and Hizbollah.'' The fighting has cost the lives of 370 people in Lebanon and 37 in Israel. Israeli troops have pushed into border areas of southern Lebanon.

''We are ... trying to destroy every Hizbollah post and position along the line and we are not going to allow Hizbollah to return to the line,'' Dichter said.

He said Israel wanted to write a new ''Dictionary of Terms'' for relations with Hizbollah.

''Trying to write it with bullets and trying to write it with bombs takes a little longer, but it's going to be written,'' he said. ''If they even think of attacking, they will know what price they, or Lebanon, will pay.''

REUTERS