"Israel will leave forces in Lebanon until the multinational force arrives, even if it takes months," Halutz told Knesset. (Reuters)
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM — Israeli Chief-of-Staff Dan Halutz told Knesset on Wednesday, August 16, that his troops could stay in south Lebanon for months, as Arabs sounded pessimistic that a UN-brokered truce would keep the guns silent for long.
"Israel will leave forces in Lebanon until the multinational force arrives, even if it takes months," he told a closed session of parliament's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, reported Reuters.
An Israeli an army intelligence officer told the committee it would take weeks for a large contingent of a UNIFIL to arrive in southern Lebanon.
Halutz said on Tuesday, August 15, that the estimated 30,000 Israeli troops could complete their withdrawal within 7 to 10 days.
The Israeli army on Wednesday declared the southern Lebanese village of Aitarun a closed military zone and denied civilians and reporters access.
The five-week Israeli offensive in Lebanon came to a halt early Monday, August 14, as a cessation of hostilities ordered by UN resolution 1701 came into effect.
Up to 1,150 Lebanese civilians, a third of whom were children, were killed and almost a million people displaced in the month-long Israeli onslaught.
Under the resolution adopted on Friday, August 11, Israeli forces must start to withdraw as around 15,000 foreign peacekeeping troops and 15,000 Lebanese soldiers arrive in the south.
But the resolution sets no precise timetable for the deployment of the force.
The UN insists that the 2,000 UN peacekeepers now in southern Lebanon can start overseeing the Israeli withdrawal and the deployment of the Lebanese army very quickly if all the parties agree.
It hopes 3,500 well-equipped international troops can reinforce the UN contingent within 10 to 14 days.
The Lebanese army will begin its deployment south of the Litani River on Thursday, a senior political source said on Tuesday.
The source said the 15,000-strong force had started to assemble at different army bases.
Pessimistic
Arab commentators sounded pessimistic that the fragile truce could stay for long.
"The war in Lebanon may stop, but I doubt it, for never in history has Israel respected a single resolution issued by the Security Council," wrote columnist Salah Montassir in Egypt's government daily al-Ahram.
Many believe that the UN resolution was doomed to collapse as it failed to tackle the causes of the conflict.
The resolution calls for the release of two Israeli soldiers captured by Hizbullah last month and for a solution to the issue of Lebanese prisoners held by Israel.
But it falls short of pressing for a prisoner swap as demanded by Hizbullah since day one of the crisis.
Israel's Haaretz newspaper said Sunday that Israel was willing to discuss a possible release of Lebanese prisoners in exchange for the two soldiers.
Writing in Qatar's Al-Watan newspaper, Hossam Dhowy said the UN resolution was part of Washington's grand plan to create a "new" Middle East.
"This resolution was an expensive gift for Israel from America and France via the UN," he wrote.
"It gives Israel permission to play with Lebanon and attack it again."
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reiterated on Tuesday that the Israeli war was "the birth pangs of a new Middle East".
Victorious
Arab commentators also hailed as victory the strong show by the Lebanese resistance against Israel.
"This is the first time the Arabs have actually fought well and hard and won," columnist Badrya Darwish wrote on the front page of the Kuwait Times.
"And imparted losses on the Israelis -- militarily and economically, morally and politically," he added.
"It's true the losses in Lebanon were great. But Hizbullah ... will continue to be a part of the Lebanese government and are now heroes in the Arab world."
Some predicted that by standing up to Israel's superior firepower for 34 days, Hizbullah would inspire groups around the region.
"The Palestinian resistance will be inspired and will grow more convinced that resistance is the best path to confront Israel," Saudi Arabia's Al-Jazirah newspaper said.
At least 123 Israeli soldiers have been killed and thousands others wounded in fierce battle with well-trained and armed Hizbullah fighters.
Hizbullah also shot down at least four Apache helicopters and destroyed one warship, a fast-speed patrol in addition to around 124 of Israel's pride Merkava tanks, each costing 4.4 million dollars.
At least twelve armored vehicle and personnel carriers have also been damaged during the war, according to a tally prepared by IslamOnline.net based on Israeli media and official reports.
"The world sees that Israel has not attained goals it set for itself ... there will surely be humiliated Israeli commanders itching for a chance to resume the destruction," Saudi Arabia's Arab News said.
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