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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| UN-BROKERED TRUCE GOES INTO EFFECT IN LEBANON |
| 2006-08-14 |
| A UN-brokered cease-fire meant to end more than a month of bitter fighting between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect Monday morning at 8 A.M. Tension was high before and after the deadline. Israel launched new air strikes on Lebanon on Monday less than two hours before a UN-brokered truce was due to go into effect at 8 A.M. Air raid sirens sounded in Haifa, Safed, and other hard-hit communities in the north as the truce deadline neared early Monday, as authorities braced for a possible last-minute salvo by Hezbollah gunners. But there were no reports of rockets. The army is recommending that once the cease-fire takes effect, Israel should begin withdrawing its forces from Lebanon relatively quickly. The intention is for the forces to move back to a line north of the border with Lebanon within about 10 days, or as soon as the Lebanese Army is ready to begin entering South Lebanon. This means that the IDF will not be conducting searches for Hezbollah fighters or arms caches in the areas that it has captured over the last few days, which the army defined as "the heart of the operational campaign" against Hezbollah. Once the Lebanese Army is fully deployed in the south, together with a beefed-up UNIFIL force, the IDF troops will withdraw completely. Sunday, five IDF soldiers were killed in the fighting and more than 30 were wounded, 10 of them seriously. In addition, despite the IDF's advance, Hezbollah fired some 250 rockets on Israel, the war's heaviest one-day total to date. The strikes killed one person and wounded dozens. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Amir Peretz and the chiefs of the defense establishment met Sunday night to discuss the cease-fire, and Olmert ordered the army to begin abiding by it as of 2 A.M. Monday morning, other than in cases of self-defense. But Israeli air strikes went on well after that time, targeting areas in eastern Lebanon and near the southern city of Sidon, the security sources said. Fierce clashes between Israeli troops and Hizbollah were also reported early on Monday. The eleventh-hour airstrike hit an office of the pro-Syrian Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine General-Command on the edge of the Ein el-Hilweh refugee camp in the southern city of Sidon. One person, a garbage collector, was killed and three civilians who lived nearby were wounded, security officials said. Air strikes on the village of Brital near Lebanon's eastern border with Syria overnight killed at least nine civilians, medics said. Olmert and the defense chiefs also agreed that the IDF will begin withdrawing some of its forces from Lebanon immediately, but will remain in various positions that offer control over surrounding areas until these positions can be handed over to the Lebanese Army and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). As of Sunday night, the IDF had begun removing the first reservist units out of Lebanon. Over the coming days, the remaining forces will be gradually reduced, and in some cases, reservists will be replaced with regular army units. IDF sources admitted that in the time remaining until the cease-fire takes effect, the army will only manage to reach the Litani River - which was the goal of the current offensive - in a few places. Late Sunday night, the General Staff drafted new rules of engagement for the forces that will remain in Lebanon once the cease-fire goes into effect. Army sources told Haaretz that the new rules will allow soldiers to open fire at any Hezbollah fighter who endangers them. If necessary - meaning if troops are endangered, if wounded men need to be evacuated or if a pinned-down force needs to be rescued - commanders will also be able to call in helicopter fire, fighter jets and artillery. As soon as the cease-fire takes effect, the IDF will order its ground forces to halt their advance. In addition, Israel is considering lifting its naval and air blockade of Lebanon. If it does so, it will also cease firing on trucks crossing the border from Syria into Lebanon, which may enable Hezbollah to acquire a new arms supply - particularly since large weapons shipments from both Iran and Syria are known to be waiting on the Syrian side of the border. In addition, the IDF will not conduct bombing raids in Beirut or other places deep in Lebanon's interior. The IDF believes that the cease-fire might well lead Hezbollah to stop its rocket fire on Israel, though Military Intelligence also suggested that the organization might try to fire long-range rockets at the Tel Aviv area in the final hours before the cease-fire takes effect, in order to "have the last word." However, Hezbollah is considered likely to continue attacking the ground forces that are slated to remain inside Lebanon until the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL take over. As a result, defense establishment officials are doubtful that the cease-fire will hold. I expect to have an update within the hour that the ceasefire is broken. |
| Posted by:phil_b |
| #15 And why did this "truce" go into effect, seeing as how the Hezzies explicitly said they won't honor it? Spot on, Barbara. The Israelis should have free rein to continue picking off Hezbollah partichants wherever they can be found. This is 24 karat pure unadulterated USDA grade AAA extra large ranch style dry aged select prime cut Heinz 57 varieties of bu||shit! |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-08-14 21:09 |
| #14 DEBKAfile: Hizballah is filtering reinforcements into South Lebanon among returning refugees. They are taking up positions in the still undamaged bunkers and fortified civilian dwellings August 15, 2006, 12:01 AM (GMT+02:00) Therefore, although the rockets and guns were silent up to Monday night and thousands of displaced people in Israel and Lebanon headed for their ravaged homes, DEBKAfile’s military sources report trepidation about the durability of the ceasefire. The tense calm was marred only by three incidents in which Israeli troops shot Hizballah fighters making threatening approaches after Israel ordered its ground, air, artillery and naval forces to hold their fire at 0800 Monday Aug. 14 – unless threatened. Northern Israelis came out of their bomb shelters after 33 days, South Lebanese cars clogged roads heading south from Beirut Monday morning. Both met scenes of destruction. After night fell, Hizballah staged victory celebrations in Beirut, while its leader, Hassan Nasrallah proclaimed a “historic and strategic victory” over Israel. The IDF’s northern command watching the thousands of displaced Lebanese flocking to their homes feared they would be used as cover for Hizballah to exploit the ceasefire for reinforcing its depleted South Lebanese forces. By afternoon, their fears were realized: cars loaded with Hizballah fighters, boxes of guns and military equipment were clearly visible heading south. Israeli troops were not authorized to stop them. DEBKAfile quotes a senior military source as saying that Hizballah is making a mockery of the ceasefire which Israel honored. “The situation is dangerous,” he said, Most of Hizballah’s fortifications, including its bunker network in the south, were not destroyed as reported. Fresh Hizballah strength is now heading back to man those war stations anew. Earlier Monday, Lebanon’s Shiite parliament speaker Nabih Berrir asked for 48 hours to persuade Hassan Nasrallah to accept a new proposal for Hizballah forces to remain in the south with their arms as an auxiliary force attached to the Lebanese army units to be deployed south of the Litani River. Israeli troops inside Lebanon will hold their positions until a strengthened international force and the Lebanese army are able to take over. |
| Posted by: Legolas 2006-08-14 17:15 |
| #13 And why did this "truce" go into effect, seeing as how the Hezzies explicitly said they won't honor it? Not that anyone with 2 brain cells ever thought they would. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2006-08-14 16:44 |
| #12 Most likely jihadists from everywhere are streaming into southern Lebanon. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2006-08-14 12:18 |
| #11 Displaced Lebanese civilians and Hezbollah reinforcements are swarming towards the war zone of southern Lebanon to take advantage of a "cease fire." -- That's a more accurate headline. |
| Posted by: Ulelet Uniting8249 2006-08-14 12:09 |
| #10 Death Wish VI? |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2006-08-14 08:42 |
| #9 NPR reported this morning that Lebanese civilians are streaming southward toward their homes, and Israeli civilians are streaming northward toward theirs. I await confirmation from actual witnesses. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-08-14 08:02 |
| #8 Since the ceasefire came into effect Hizbullah gunman hit by IDF fire in southern Lebanon Hizbullah emerges from hiding, renews broadcasts |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2006-08-14 06:12 |
| #7 Ah...the UNtruce |
| Posted by: Slomogum Wheregum5256 2006-08-14 05:07 |
| #6 FREEREPUBLIC.com > Lebanon's UN Ambassador - the new ceasefire will be Israel's last with any ME country + Lebanon's govt will not force HIZBOLLAH to disarm to leave south Lebanon. Once again, the Great Satan is in the differences in spelling between Syrian HEZBOLLAH vs. Iranian HIZBOLLAH. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2006-08-14 01:46 |
| #5 From Jpost at 8:25. Not clear if happened before or after CF came into effect. Following a ceasefire decleration between Israel and Lebanon, Palestinians stepped up their Kassam attacks Monday morning. Two Kassams struck the marina in Ashkelon, causing one person to go into shock. There was no report of damage. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2006-08-14 01:41 |
| #4 |
| Posted by: Scooter McGruder 2006-08-14 01:39 |
| #3 IDF sources admitted ... the army will only manage to reach the Litani River ... in a few places. Too little too late - a botched campaign due to political intransigence at the beginning. |
| Posted by: Oldspook 2006-08-14 01:27 |
| #2 DOA |
| Posted by: RD 2006-08-14 01:17 |
| #1 Might as well consider the truce still born. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2006-08-14 01:14 |