_a.jpg "Photo: Eli Elgarat")
Despite difficult day: Israel waiting for UN
Death of three civilians, 12 reserve soldiers fails to serve as cause for accelerating military activity in southern Lebanon. Israel prefers to wait for decision of Security Council, which is set to convene in coming days, but also takes into account possibility that resolution will be rejected. PM convenes meeting on security developments Monday morning
Three civilians and 12 reserve soldiers were killed Sunday in Hizbullah's attacks on the northern communities, but in spite of the grave consequences, it appeared that the political echelon does not plan to step up Israel's military operation.
On Monday morning, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert convened a meeting to discuss the security developments and Israel's further operations in Lebanon. Defense Minister Amir Peretz and heads of the defense establishment are taking part in the meeting.
The meeting is being held against the backdrop of anticipated UN Security Council discussions over a ceasefire in the region.
On Sunday evening, Olmert spoke to Peretz, IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Dan Halutz and his military secretary, but according to sources in the Prime Minister's Office, any decision on a continuation of the military operation has yet to have been made.
The defense establishment tends not to refer to the Sunday's grave events in Haifa and the north as unusual, but as events which could have taken place in any given moment since the onset of the fighting.
Based on this perception, it appears that in the meantime Israel is not expected to respond in an unusual manner to Sunday's events, but rather to continue with the planned military operation.
At this stage, Israel will wait for developments in the United Nations Security Council, and for its decision after it convenes in the coming days. Simultaneously, discussions are being held ahead of a possibility that there will not be a ceasefire for any particular reason (a failure to approve the resolution at the Security Council or a rejection of the resolution by Hizbullah.)
Israeli officials view the coming days as an intersection, and therefore Sunday's events are not expected to influence the military operation. Among other things, plans presented by the military in terms of bombing electricity infrastructures in southern Lebanon will be frozen for now.
On Sunday night, the five permanent members of the Security Council convened for an urgent discussion following the fighting in Lebanon, but failed to reach an agreement on adding the Lebanese demand to the resolution formed by the United States and France.
A diplomatic source on behalf of one of the countries said at the end of the meeting that the failure to reach an agreement eliminated the possibility that the Council would vote on Monday and that a Tuesday voting sounded like a more reasonable scenario.
Olmert's associates said Sunday evening that "a widespread military activity is expected in the next two days. Hizbullah is also boosting its activity, ahead of the meeting of the UN Security Council. Now they are trying to reach as many accomplishments as possible."
The activity the prime minister's aide was referring to, however, was not an unusual activity stemming from Sunday's grave events.
The prime minister's aides refused to say whether he supports an escalation of the military operation following Hizbullah's fatal attacks, but cabinet ministers told Ynet they estimate Olmert would wait for the decision made by the Security Council, which will convene in the coming days.
Referring to the Security Council meeting, a source at the Prime Minister's Office said that "there could be a Security Council decision that will oblige us to end the operation, although Hizbullah is in the meantime rejecting it."
No change in plans
Peretz also held consultations with heads of the Israel Defense Forces, including the army chief, following the great blow suffered by Israel in the north Sunday. The officials failed to reach a decision during the consultation, and at this stage the IDF will not progress to the Litani River, but will rather limit itself to a distance of 8 to 12 kilometers (about 5 to 7.5 miles) from the border.
"At this stage there is no plan to progress toward the Litani, unless a decision is received from the political echelon," senior military sources said.
The same sources added that at this stage the IDF was "cleaning" the villages on the security zone of Hizbullah terrorists, weapons, ammunition, as well as operating to locate launchers and destroy them.
A surprising remark was made Sunday evening by a minister who is a member in the political-security cabinet, who told Ynet: "No one knows what is going to happen. We are endlessly shooting, operating, and they continue to fire rockets. It's amazing. It is unclear what can be done anymore."
Sources at the Olmert's office rejected the claims that the prime minister rushed to declare that Israel had won the war in interviews to foreign media outlets.
"We did not say there was a victory," a senior official said. "We said that Hizbullah suffered a blow."
The cabinet minister said he believes "the prime minister will try to operate to reach a diplomatic agreement that will cease the fire. At the moment we really don’t know what is going to happen, because everything we have tried to do didn’t help and the fire continues."
Arab foreign ministers to meet in Beirut
The foreign ministers of the Arab League are expected on Monday to arrive in Beirut aboard an Egyptian military plane for a special conference that will be held in the city.
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri referred to the convention during a press conference Sunday, and said that Lebanon expected the Arab foreign ministers to take a firm stand which will save the country.
"We are not asking you to take part in the fighting, but you must take a stand in our favor," he said.
Similar messages have also been heard in Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah's speeches and in remarks made by Hizbullah supporters.
As part of a preliminary tour, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Mouallem arrived in Beirut on Sunday on a first official visit by a Syrian official since last year's withdrawal from Lebanon and expressed his support of Hizbullah. It is difficult, however, to see all Arab foreign ministers standing by Hizbullah in public.
In the meantime, Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa called on UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to amend the draft resolution formed by France and the US, which is aimed at halting the acts of hostility between Israel and Hizbullah. The Arab League statement said that Israel must be demanded to withdraw its forces from all of Lebanon's territories.
Efrat Weiss, Roee Nahmias, Ronny Sofer and AFP contributed to the report
