Meanwhile in Vatican City, Pope Benedict repeated his recent calls for an immediate ceasefire.

• Pope Benedict: “Our eyes are full of the horrifying images of the mangled bodies of so many people, especially children, and I am thinking in particular of Qana in Lebanon. I wish to repeat that nothing can justify the spilling of innocent blood, for any reason and from any direction that it comes. With a heart full of sorrow I renew once again a strong appeal for the immediate cessation of all hostilities and of all the violence.”