Israel withdraws last troops from Lebanon

The Israeli army withdrew the last of its troops from Lebanon overnight today, military officials said, fulfilling a key condition of the August 14 cease-fire that ended a month-long war against Hezbollah guerrillas.

The pullout ended a nearly three-month troop presence in Lebanon and cleared the way for the full deployment of an international peacekeeping force that will police the border with the Lebanese army.

Israeli military officials said the last soldiers returned to Israel around 2.30am (12.30am Irish time), ahead of the onset of Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, at sundown. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity under military guidelines.

Israel has been gradually withdrawing troops since the cease-fire went into effect, from a peak of

30,000 during the fighting to several hundred soldiers. The final pullout was swift, taking just several hours to complete.

Under the cover of darkness, the roar of Israeli tanks and armoured vehicles could be heard moving across the Lebanese side of the border during the operation.

An armoured column creaked across the border at the Israeli border community of Moshav Avivim, leaving tread marks in the soil and sending a large cloud of dust into the air that was illuminated by the vehicle’s headlights. Later, the last soldiers were seen boarding a bus at nearby Moshav Zarit.

During the withdrawal, the military censor imposed an information blackout, citing security concerns, and the army set up roadblocks to block reporters from reaching the border.

Israel sent the troops into Lebanon shortly after Hezbollah guerrillas abducted two soldiers and killed three others in a July 12 cross-border raid. More than 150 Israelis and 850 Lebanese were killed in 34 days of fighting.

Israeli officials had been reluctant to withdraw the last of the troops. They cited disagreements over the deployment of Lebanese and UN forces in southern Lebanon, which has long been a stronghold of the Shiite Muslim Hezbollah guerrillas.

Israel is concerned about the force’s ability to prevent Hezbollah, which launched 4,000 rockets into Israel during the fighting, from rearming.

The ceasefire prohibits unauthorised arms transfers to Hezbollah, a powerful militia backed by Syria and Iran that has long operated with autonomy in the south. The cease-fire also calls for the unconditional release of the soldiers. The United Nations has appointed a mediator to try to win the soldiers’ freedom, most likely through a prisoner swap with Israel.

UN peacekeepers deployed in southern Lebanon were expected to send patrols today to verify the Israeli withdrawal. As in previous Israeli withdrawals since the cease-fire, the peacekeepers would send patrols to the vacated areas after being informed by the Israelis and in turn inform the Lebanese government

The UN resolution calls for 15,000 peacekeepers to work with an equal number of Lebanese soldiers to prevent another outbreak of fighting. It mandates a full Israeli pullout and requires the south be kept weapons-free except for arms approved by the Lebanese government.

Some 10,000 Lebanese soldiers and more than 5,000 UN troops have been deployed in the south.