24 IDF soldiers were killed yesterday in eight incidents across the entire area where the IDF was operating.
The IDF continues to advance northward. Despite a UN Security Council decision on a cease-fire in Lebanon, large IDF forces have been advancing deep into Lebanese territory.
IDF soldiers crossed the limits of the "security zone" in several places in southern Lebanon where they had been deployed. It was reported from Tyre that IDF forces which were moving northward in the area had already reached a depth of 11 kilometers from the Israeli border. Armored forces, infantry and the engineers corps, amongst others, have been participating in the deployment in southern Lebanon, with support from the air force and the navy.
Several special operations were carried out over the weekend in Lebanon, including a large airlift of forces deep into Lebanese territory. This airlift was the largest since the Yom Kippur War (1973.)
Halutz: "We will continue until the cease-fire comes into force."
Yesterday afternoon, Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Dan Halutz said that the activity in Lebanon was being conducted according to two timeframes: The first several days to get control of the territory, and the second several weeks to clean the territory. Additionally, Halutz reported that the number of forces now fighting in southern Lebanon was three times what it had been until now.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and Minister of Defense, Amir Peretz, gave the go-ahead last night for the expansion of the military operation. Peretz and the Chief of Staff visited Northern Command last night and kept a close eye on the advance of the forces northward.
Hizbullah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, responded last night for this first time to the cease-fire resolution passed by the UN Security Council. In his recorded message, Nasrallah said that he would continue the resistance activity until the withdrawal of all IDF forces from Lebanese territory. Nasrallah does not reject the agreement which was signed by UN Security Council representatives, however as he stated, he will continue the resistance activity until the Israeli forces leave Lebanese land.
The 15 members of the UN Security Council convened during the night and unanimously approved US-French sponsored resolution 1701 for a cease-fire in the Middle East, which determines that 15,000 armed UN inspectors will be dispatched to southern Lebanon, and will replace IDF forces there.
Sources at the Prime Minister's Office and in Lebanon said a short while earlier that they were willing to accept the main points of the cease-fire in its current form. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called on Iran and Syria not to intervene in the arrangement which would be achieved.
The agreement contains several clauses which are especially problematic for Israel:
1. It does not contain an explicit undertaking for the release of the kidnapped soldiers the release of the hostages is mentioned only in the preamble and not in the operative clauses of the cease-fire document.
2. The agreement calls for commencement of negotiations on the Shebaa Farms and a quick resolution of the matter within 30 days from the time of the acceptance of the agreement.
3. The agreement does not determine that Hizbullah must disarm and it does not remove the threat of rocket attacks on Israel.
Israel's list of accomplishments includes the following clauses:
1. 15,000 armed UNIFIL soldiers will deploy in southern Lebanon, which is intended to become a demilitarized zone, free of Hizbullah fighters.
2. Supervision will be imposed on weapons entering Lebanon. This clause, of course, depends on its implementation.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on August 13, 2006
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