Day 4, By Alistair Lyon, BEIRUT (Reuters) - Israeli air strikes killed at least 27 civilians on Saturday, pounding Lebanon for a fourth straight day to punish it for letting Syrian- and Iranian-backed Hizbollah fighters threaten northern Israel. President Bush said Syria should persuade Hizbollah to stop cross-border attacks from Lebanon's mainly Shi'ite Muslim south.

An Israeli missile wrecked a van near the southern port of Tire, killing 15 passengers and wounding six, police said. The van was carrying families fleeing the village of Marwaheen after Israeli loudspeaker warnings to leave their homes. Israeli aircraft also bombed a Hizbollah office in southern Beirut's Haret Hreik district, and attacked roads, bridges and petrol stations in north, east and south Lebanon, killing at least 12 people and wounding 32, security sources said.

Israel's campaign, launched after Hizbollah captured two Israeli soldiers and killed eight on Wednesday, has killed 93 people, all but two civilians, and paralyzed Lebanon's economy. It aims not just to force Hizbollah to free the soldiers, but to destroy its ability to launch rocket attacks on northern Israel, where four civilians have been killed this week. Israel's aerial assault on Lebanon has drawn mounting world criticism but the White House has said President Bush would not press Israel to halt its military operation. To view more pictures pls click READ MORE, or to view pictures of 1st day and 2nd day pls click NEWS ARCHIVE

By Anna Marie Blight,  After years of civil war, Lebanon has re-invented itself as one of the hippest and most popular holiday destinations in the Middle East, with Beirut having the region's liveliest nightlife.But 48 hours of attack by air and sea have threatened the livelihoods of the many residents reliant on tourism. Strikes on Beirut's Rafiq Hariri International Airport forced its closure on Thursday and several flights were diverted to Larnaca in Cyprus.

Lebanon's only international airport was often the scene of conflict in the past, including the hijacking in 1985 of a TWA passenger jet and the subsequent murder of a US navy diver by fighters loyal to Hezbollah.But it has since been renovated and reinvented as a hub for tourism and commerce.However, with further bombs hitting the airport on Friday, several airlines, including Qatar Airways and Gulf Air, have suspended flights to and from Beirut. Gulf Air operates 12 flights a week between Bahrain and Beirut, and a spokesperson said the suspension would continue indefinitely.

Jad Tohme works at the airport and lives in the nearby village of Kfarchima. He was about to leave for work when the first bombs landed on the runway.
 "My company has told me they would call me when the airport opens and I can return to work, but it's not looking very likely," he said. "The airport closure means that it has lost a lot of money."

President Chirac accused Israel today of wanting to "destroy Lebanon" as the United Nations sent a team of senior diplomats to the region to tackle the crisis caused by Hezbollah's abduction of two Israeli soldiers.

M Chirac used his traditional Bastille Day live television interview to criticise the Israeli offensive. "One may well ask if there isn