[Wolf Blitzer, Cnn Anchor:] And to our viewers, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM, where new pictures and information are arriving all the time. Standing by, CNN reporters across the United States and around the world to bring you today's top stories. Happening now, the beginning of the end of the war between Israel and Hezbollah. Right now, members of the United Nations Security Council eyeing the text of the new resolution. They're expected to vote on it in the coming hours. Israel not necessarily waiting right now. Earlier in the day, they announced plans it's launching an expanded military offensive. It could be halted, though, if the prime minister says this new U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a cease-fire will work. We're standing by, awaiting official Israeli government response. If she has her way, a resolution will, in fact, pass. Condoleezza Rice is at the United Nations right now trying to give the chance for peace a little push. This hour, I'll interview the secretary of state live about her diplomatic efforts. And it's 10:00 p.m. in Britain, where they're piecing together what one U.S. official British official, that is, says was supposed to be a second 911. In the foiled plot to blow up airplanes, were the alleged terrorists getting help from al Qaeda in Pakistan? I'm Wolf Blitzer in Jerusalem. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM. And the breaking news coming in right now, news agencies here in Israel and around the world beginning to report that the prime minister, Ehud Olmert, might ask his cabinet to accept, to support this new draft Security Council resolution as early as Sunday, when the cabinet convenes. I know there are meetings under way right now at the highest levels in Jerusalem, meetings designed to study this new U.N. Security Council resolution and come up with a formal response. We're standing by for a top Israeli government official to come here to THE SITUATION ROOM and to bring that response to our viewers. We're trying to get that soon. Peace efforts and the fighting, though, both moving forward right now in a pivotal day here in the Middle East crisis. The prime minister has ordered an expanded military ground offensive in Lebanon as dozens more rockets fall on Israeli towns once again today, injuring at least 10 people. The Security Council may be nearing passage of that resolution to end the fighting. It calls for as many as 30,000 U.N. and Lebanese troops to deploy to southern Lebanon and Israeli and Hezbollah forces to pull out. There's no letup in the fighting, though. Not yet. Lebanese army sources tell CNN an Army convoy, joined by as many as 1,000 civilians in vehicles fleeing the fighting, has been hit by an Israeli air strike, killing at least four people. We're going to be talking about all these late-breaking developments with the secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice. She's going to be joining us live in THE SITUATION ROOM his hour. Let's go to Michael Ware. He's in Beirut. He's in Lebanon, actually, on the phone. He's joining us with an updated report on the scene of this alleged convoy attack. For our viewers just tuning in, Michael, tell us tell us what you know firsthand, what you've seen and what you've heard, based on your reporting.
[Michael Ware, Cnn Correspondent:] Hello, Wolf. I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that question. I'm on the scene as we speak. It is a scene of unbelievable carnage. There's at least five, perhaps more, cars that have been absolutely destroyed. We're told that there's at least three, as many as four dead, up to 17 or 18 have been wounded. Seven of whom are military officers who were escorting this convoy that was trying to leave the Bekaa Valley, up a road that leads into the Cedar Mountains, back to Beirut when they were hit. It's clear that the front of the convoy was hit first, and then other cars in panic turned to try to escape when they were hit. It is an unbelievable scene, Wolf. It is appalling.
[Blitzer:] And where exactly I assume you can tell us, where are you now? Where are all of these people who were in the convoy?
[Ware:] They've been evacuated. The dead and the wounded have been rushed to the hospital. As we approached the scene here in Capria, which is just west of the main Bekaa Valley center of Jab Janin, we were passed only by racing ambulances. When we arrived upon the scene, there were still some rescue workers here retrieving bodies and taking people out of the destroyed vehicles. However, an Israeli drone has now appeared overhead, and you can hear it buzzing. So the military ordered an evacuation of all of those who can get out. Yes? Ordered an evacuation of all those here for fear of another attack. We're now running away from the scene just incase there's another strike. The Lebanese security officials report that there was as many as eight missiles; however, that's not yet confirmed. What is confirmed is that there is a significant amount of destruction that has been done to a vehicle convoy. After they left the battlefield of Marjayoun, they proceeded north, 1,500 vehicles full of civilians, according to Red Cross workers I spoke to at the scene. We've been tracking this convoy since its initiation this morning. We were there as it was leaving the free fire zone. It was full of civilians, men, women, children, crammed into any vehicle that would move. They were in a desperate state. Many of them looked wretched after weeks of besieged and bombed. Once they passed a certain point north, these 1,500 vehicles broke up and were all bound for Beirut. This is one of the roads that leads from the Bekaa Valley, over the mountains, into Beirut. However, we're told it had been bombed some weeks ago and is impassable. It appears that the civilians in this convoy and the military who were with them may not have known that. At any rate, there has been a strike of some kind on one of the civilian convoys exiting the field of Marjayoun, and they're a U.N. brokered deal that provided them a safe corridor Wolf.
[Blitzer:] Michael, I'm going to let you catch your breath. I want to stay with you, and we're going to come back to you, because this is a very, very important story. Michael Ware on the scene for us, describing what is a potentially very significant development in this war between Israel and Hezbollah, this huge convoy trying to escape some of the fighting. Michael, stand by. We're going to be coming back to you for that. Meanwhile, there's there are important developments happening at the United Nations Security Council. A new draft U.N. Security Council resolution that presumably would call for that calls for a cease-fire, stop the fighting, almost right away. Getting initial indications the Israeli government of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert likely to accept this U.N. Security Council resolution, Olmert likely to ask the cabinet to accept it formally on Sunday. We're getting word we're getting word from some of our reporting reporters now that Israel likely to go along with this, although key aspects of it they certainly do not like. Matthew Chance is along the border between Israel and Lebanon. Richard Roth is at the United Nations. Let's go off to Matthew Chance first. Matthew, earlier, a few hours ago, the IDF, the Israel Defense Forces, received formal authorization from the prime minister to go ahead with a new military offensive in south Lebanon. Are you seeing any indications yet that a massive movement of troops ad armor and tanks has begun going into south Lebanon?
[Matthew Chance, Cnn Sr. International Correspondent:] Well, as I reported last hour, Wolf, certainly we've been seeing some activity along the border. We have seen some battles flaring up just a short distance from where I'm talking to you right now on the Lebanese border just behind me, with tanks crossing from Israel into south Lebanon to support, perhaps, some of the 10,00 to 12,000 Israeli troops that are already on the ground there. At one point, we were seeing very ferocious bombardments coming from Israeli guns, Israeli tanks, a lot of machine-gun fire, a lot of tracer fire, as well, with huge explosions, literally shaking the ground all around this area. But as you can hear right now, the situation seems to have calmed somewhat. The fighting seems to have died down, literally within the past half an hour or so. And so, we're still no clearer on whether this is the expanded military operation that has been ordered now, or whether this is just a continuation of the kinds of attacks, the kinds of in- and-out raids that we've been listening all along this border area for the past several weeks. What I will say is that it seems that what we're witnessing at the moment as this diplomatic process really takes on the final end game in New York, we are seeing a degree of brinkmanship here being played by the Israelis, I think, because they're needling the Hezbollah in south Lebanon, needling the Lebanese, as well, going in, flexing their muscle slightly just to show that they are able to do what they said they were going to do, which is conduct a robust invasion of southern Lebanon if if the diplomatic process does not come to their satisfaction. And so, they're still looking at that diplomatic process, as you said. We're hearing reports that Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, is preparing to brief the cabinet to accept a possible resolution, if it is passed. But at the moment, they're still playing that military card, reminding the rest of the world that if the diplomatic process does not satisfy Israel, they have a military option which they're very prepared to use Wolf.
[Blitzer:] Matthew, thank you very much. We're going to get back to you. I want to go right away to the United Nations. Our senior U.N. correspondent, Richard Roth, is there. Richard, we're getting word, we're getting indications here in Jerusalem now that the government of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will will accept this new draft U.N. Security Council resolution, that Olmert will go forward and ask the Israeli cabinet to approve it on Sunday. We're standing by to get official reaction. A top foreign ministry official on his way over here right now. We'll be speaking live with Ambassador Gideon Meir. That's coming up. We'll also be speaking live shortly with the U.S. secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice. But explain to our viewers, Richard, what is going on at this very moment at the Security Council.
[Richard Roth, Cnn Sr. U.n. Correspondent:] Everybody is poised, waiting for a vote, which will take place in less than 90 minutes, perhaps, here at the Security Council in open session. It's been a very bruising battle to get to this point. A week ago, the U.S. and France thought they had a resolution that would be open to wide acceptance, but there was strong criticism from the Arab group and others. The United Nations the United Nations secretary-general, Kofi Annan, telling Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in effect, and other countries, let's get on with it, stop the discussions, let's produce a resolution. So, in the Security Council chamber will be some vote, and this resolution may be a resolution to stop the war, in effect. The key aspects of it worked out. They still may be tweaking some of the wording. But under the resolution, the United Nations will have a much larger force there in which to use expanded powers, not the utmost powers guaranteed under the United Nations charter, but a lot more. U.S. ambassador to the U.N., John Bolton.
[John Bolton, U.s. Amb. To U.n:] We are hoping for a unanimously adopted resolution later today. We'll keep our fingers crossed. But things are certainly moving in that direction. And I think this will be a very important step for the council to take, as evidenced by the number of ministers who are here.
[Roth:] The French ambassador said his country is considering leading the force. It will be a burden carried by the European troops. He was asked about how fast this resolution would take effect and the U.N. peacekeeping force to be built up there.
[Jean-marc De La Sabliere, French Amb. To U.n:] I think it can be very swift, because we are not setting up a new force. You know, we are enhancing UNIFIL. And
[Roth:] So, Wolf, all of the pieces are falling into place, it appears. And a vote is expected some time about 6:30 New York time. Condoleezza Rice and other foreign ministers and secretaries will be present Wolf.
[Blitzer:] And we're expecting very soon to be speaking with the secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice. We'll get her assessment of what is going on. We'll get the assessment of a top Israeli foreign ministry official, as well. Richard, thanks very much. We're going to be checking back with you. Let's go to the Lebanese capital right now. Our Beirut bureau chief, Brent Sadler, is there. Any reaction coming in so far from either the Lebanese government or Hezbollah to this new U.N. Security Council resolution, Brent?
[Brent Sadler, Cnn Beirut Bureau Chief:] No, there's been no immediate reaction ahead of the vote that's expected to take place in the next few hours. What we do know is that there's been cautious optimism expressed within the camp of Lebanese prime minister Fouad Siniora, hoping that the Lebanese insistence of an Israeli withdrawal guaranteed by international action with a force that will be invited into Lebanon under a Chapter 6 Security Council resolution, rather than a tougher Chapter 7, makes the Lebanese officials here in the prime ministry believe, as far as they're concerned, the time is right for Hezbollah to go along with this. But there is no guarantee of anything until the resolution is passed, Israel and Lebanese government accepts. But there is a general consensus here that what we're hearing so far coming out of New York is acceptable to the Lebanese. Now, just to update you for a brief moment, Wolf, on that developing story in the Bekaa Valley that Michael Ware was reporting a short time ago, Lebanese security sources now telling CNN that four people have been killed and as many as 40 people injured. One of the four dead confirmed to be a Lebanese army soldier, part of that convoy that was trying to get out of the fighting area, was evacuating more than a thousand vehicles out of the danger zone that came under Israeli attack Wolf.
[Blitzer:] And there's no indication we're not getting any word yet on if there were any Hezbollah military personnel or equipment anywhere near this convoy. Is that the sense you're getting?
[Sadler:] Well, it started out, this convoy and we have pictures of it fed out earlier today as a convoy that was being moved out of Marjayoun, which is where Israeli and Hezbollah forces have been engaged in fierce combat over the past few days. It was a brokered movement between the IDF, the Israeli Defense Forces, and the United Nations peacekeepers in the south. So, initially, when it left Marjayoun, it did have cover under the U.N. flag. But part of the way out, several kilometers outside of the Marjayoun district, the convoy split. The United Nations peacekeepers left the Lebanese army to head to Zakle, which is a town in the Bekaa Valley. However, before it got there, the vehicle convoy had been added to by several hundred vehicles. Michael Ware saying 1,500 vehicles, according to Red Cross officials on the ground. And there is a possibility, of course, that Israel could have expected or acted on intelligence that perhaps Hezbollah fighters, operatives or others were being smuggled out of the danger zone at that time. It's too early to confirm that, Wolf. But that must be a suspicion that the Israelis may well use to justify what's going on right now in Bekaa Wolf.
[Blitzer:] Thank you very much for that, Brent Sadler, in Beirut. Still ahead, we're standing by to speak with the secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice. She'll join us live here in THE SITUATION ROOM for the latest efforts to pass a United Nations Security Council resolution on this Middle East crisis. And we're also following important new developments in the alleged airline terror plot. We're learning more about the investigation right now, and we're going to show you what's happening. Plus, detecting terrorists. The airlines are learning techniques from Israel, and some of them are very, very controversial. Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.