15,000 extra Israeli troops as al-Qaeda steps in

The European Union also rebuked Israel saying that believing it has an international "green light" to keep up attacks is "totally wrong".

A day after Israel suffered its heaviest casualties yet, the Cabinet voted 11 to one for a further call-up of reservists after one issued a week ago. "We are readying for all possibilities and if it is needed we will activate all necessary force," said Amir Peretz, the defence minister.

At the same time al-Qaeda's second in command, Ayman al-Zawahri, released a video urging Muslims to fight. "How can we remain silent while watching bombs raining on our people?" he asked.

Al-Qaeda could not ignore the "Crusader war" and now saw "all the world as a battlefield open in front of us".

There was no immediate decision by Israel to expand ground operations into an all-out offensive, although a "widening" of the campaign was mentioned as a possibility by the army chief of staff, Dan Halutz. Until now, Israel has been using air strikes and limited ground incursions against Hezbollah.

Mohammed Khalife, the Lebanese health minister, said hospitals had received 401 bodies since the war was launched by Israel after Hezbollah kidnapped two soldiers. There were still between 150 and 200 bodies under rubble.

"We have not been able to pull them out because they are in areas that are still under fire," he said.

Haim Ramon, the Israeli justice minister, was quoted by the Y-net news agency as telling the cabinet the Israeli air force should intensify its already massive bombardments in Lebanon.

Mr Ramon said towns such as Bint Jbeil, which he claimed was empty of civilians, should be "blown to pieces from the air and with artillery before the ground forces enter".

Israeli planes destroyed radio masts north of Beirut and hit lorries in eastern Lebanon yesterday, killing three drivers, Lebanese sources said.

Mr Ramon told Israeli Army radio that Wednesday's summit in Rome, which failed to call for an immediate ceasefire, had given Israel a green light for pressing the offensive.

"We received in the Rome conference permission in effect from the world, part of gritting its teeth and part of it giving its blessing, to continue this operation, this war, until Hezbollah's presence is erased in Lebanon."

But on behalf of the EU, the Finnish foreign minister, Erkki Tuomioja, called this interpretation "totally wrong".

"Without a doubt there were diverging views in Rome, but most of the countries, including the European Union, also specifically want an immediate halt to the hostilities," Mr Tuomioja said in Tel Aviv before a meeting with Israeli officials.

Meanwhile, a top Iranian envoy visited Syria for talks on the conflict in a meeting bringing together Hezbollah's two sponsors, according to Iranian news reports.