Israel pullout from Lebanon 'unlikely before weekend'
The Israeli pullout from Lebanon was unlikely to be completed before the weekend, a senior army officer said today.
Israel’s Army Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz, told lawmakers yesterday that he hoped to bring the last soldier home before the start of the Jewish New Year, which starts at sundown on Friday.
A top officer today said that timetable was unlikely to be fulfilled.
The officer did not say why the withdrawal was proceeding slower than planned.
Israel said it would pull out its troops from southern Lebanon once the number of Lebanese soldiers and international troops in the region was large enough to enforce the cease-fire that ended 34 days of fighting last month.
However, the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon has reached 5,000, the force’s commander said today.
The United Nations force, which is known as Unifil and will eventually number 15,000, has been building up its strength as Lebanese army soldiers deploy in southern Lebanon and Israeli troops gradually withdraw from the area.
“Unifil is now at 5,000 strength,” Maj Gen Alain Pelligrini said in a statement.
Israel, believed to have several thousand troops still in Lebanon concentrated in three pockets along the border, had agreed it would withdraw fully once 5,000 UN soldiers were in place.
About 9,000 Lebanese army soldiers are also now in the south.
Pelligrini said that a trilateral meeting took place Tuesday between senior Israeli and Lebanese officers and the command of the UN peacekeepers.
“The meeting was positive, we are making progress. IDF withdrawals and LAF deployments are on track,” he said, referring to the Israeli and Lebanese armies.
Israel invaded Lebanon on July 12 after Hezbollah militants crossed the border and killed three Israeli soldiers and capture two others.
Since the UN-brokered cease-fire went into effect on August 14, Israel has maintained a limited presence in Lebanon, seeking assurances that the peacekeeping force is strong enough to secure the border and prevent Hezbollah from rearming.
