Peretz: If fired on, we’ll fire back
Ceasefire agreement expected to go into effect Monday at 8 a.m.; IDF instructs troops to uphold ceasefire, but officials remain uncertain as to whether or not fighting will cease. Peretz: Commanders, soldiers must know that they contributed to formulation of UN Resolution. On Monday morning, sirens heard in Haifa, Western Galilee area
After 33 days of fighting and more than 150 casualties on the Israeli side and some 1,000 on the Lebanese side, the ceasefire agreement is expected to go into effect on Monday at 8 a.m.
The IDF has instructed its troops to uphold the ceasefire, but military officials remain uncertain as to whether or not quiet will in fact prevail in Lebanon and along the northern border.
A little after 7 a.m. Monday, air raid sirens were heard in Haifa, the surrounding areas, Nahariya, Shlomi, and the Western Galilee communities. There were no reports of rockets landing in the area.
Defense Minister Amir Peretz said while touring the Northern Command Sunday that “If it turns out that the elements involved in the ceasefire agreement will breach it, the IDF soldiers will not be restrained. We will not accept a situation in which soldiers are hurt and we do not respond; we will retaliate with all means necessary.
“The commanders and soldiers on the battlefield must know that they contributed to the formulation of the diplomatic document (UN Resolution) that is aimed at guaranteeing peace in the north for years to come. There was never an agreement more favorable to Israel,” the defense minister said.
On Monday morning, IDF aircraft dropped leaflets in Beirut warning Israel would retaliate for any attack launched against it from Lebanon.
Addressed to Lebanese citizens, one leaflet said Hizbullah serves the interests of its Iranian and Syrian patrons and has "brought destruction, displacement and death."
"Will you be able to pay this price again?" It said. "The Israeli Defense Forces will return and act with the required force against any terrorist act that is launched from Lebanon against the State of Israel."
A senior IDF officer said that at 8 a.m. Monday IDF soldiers will silence their guns.
However, it was decided that the naval and land blockade of Lebanon would not be lifted and vehicles would not be allowed to travel freely to and from the country.
IDF sources sad the blockade would be lifted only after Lebanon establishes a system to supervise over its crossings in accordance with Resolution 1701.
250 rockets fired at northern Israel
The IDF will work only to defend the safety of soldiers, and any attempt to harm them will be met with fire through all available means.
In addition, in case Hizbullah continues to fire rockets at Israel the IDF will respond by attacking rocket-launchers but will apparently refrain from wide-scale retaliation.
On Sunday IDF ground forces continued to operate in Lebanon, and Israeli warplanes pounded south Beirut.
The shells slammed into the hard-hit Dahiyeh suburb, a Hizbullah stronghold just south of Beirut, Lebanese television stations said; several buildings were destroyed, and local rescue teams said 10 people were killed and some 20 more were wounded in the attack.
Five Israeli soldiers were killed in clashes with Hizbullah Sunday, and the terror group also fired more than 250 rockets at northern Israel, killing one man and injuring some 80 more.
