Tank shells are seen at an Israeli artillery position near the Lebanese border in northern Israel, Aug. 5, 2006

One Israeli soldier has been killed in ground fighting in Lebanon and eight Israelis were wounded in a commando raid on the Lebanese city of Tyre. More than three weeks after fighting started, Hezbollah struck Israel with its deepest rocket attacks to date.

About 10,000 Israeli troops are in Lebanon hunting for Hezbollah rocket launchers. However late Friday Hezbollah rockets struck the Israeli city of Hadera, nearly 80 kilometers from the Lebanese border. More Hezbollah rockets struck the city of Haifa on Saturday.

Israel's Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev says the ultimate solution will be diplomatic.

Plumes of smoke above a village in southern Lebanon during Israeli shelling of the area, from northern Israel, Aug. 5, 2006

"The real solution is diplomatic," he said. "The real solution is political. That is for the Lebanese government with the support of the international community to disarm Hezbollah."

Efforts to end the crisis diplomatically inched forward on Saturday as U.S. Assistant Secretary of State David Welch held talks with Lebanese officials in Beirut.

U.S. officials say they are close to agreement with France on a U.N. resolution to end the fighting. The two countries have disagreed about what should come first in Lebanon; a cease-fire favored by France, or international peacekeepers favored by the U.S.