Egypt, Finland criticise Israel's military plan

CAIRO, Aug 9 (Reuters) Egypt and Finland criticised Israel's decision to expand its ground offensive in Lebanon today and predicted the Jewish state would gain nothing from more fighting in Lebanon.

''Since we want to see an end to the conflict immediately, of course nobody can approve of any plans to widen the conflict,'' said Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, whose country is president of the European Union.

At a joint news conference, his Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Aboul Gheit said: ''We have expressed the strongest of criticism towards that widening of the military operations.'' Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's security cabinet authorised today a move to send troops further into south Lebanon, from where Hizbollah guerrillas have been launching rockets into Israel. A senior political source said the expanded offensive could last 30 days.

Aboul Gheit, whose government supports the Lebanese government on the need for an immediate ceasefire and a UN resolution including Israeli withdrawal, said the Israelis would cause pointless death and destruction by trying to advance.

''It doesn't make sense. If the Israelis widen the operations, they will achieve nothing but more killing ... They would need a decade in order to achieve the political objective,'' he said.

The two ministers showed signs of frustration at the slow progress towards a UN Security Council ceasefire resolution and Tuomioja said any workable truce needed the support of the council's permanent members, Israel and Lebanon, and governments which might send peacekeeping troops.

Reuters MQA VP0210