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IDF to withdraw from south Lebanon on Sunday
Last troops set to leave Lebanese territory early Sunday morning, after political echelon, defense establishment give 'green light' to pullout. Army official: 'We're optimistic that UN, Lebanese army will perform the task in the best way possible.' Forces already preparing for withdrawal
Now it's official: The political echelon gave the Israel Defense Forces a "green light" Saturday to withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon. army officers presented Defense Minister Amir Peretz with the pullout plan, and the several hundreds soldiers who are still stationed in Lebanon are expected to exit the country's territory early Sunday morning, or by Yom Kippur eve Sunday afternoon at the latest.
The decision was made by the military and political echelons after IDF and UNIFIL representatives have held extensive talks in recent weeks in a bid to coordinate the deployment of the UN and Lebanese forces in the territories Israel is set to exit, in the framework of UN Resolution 1701.
Several days ago, a senior IDF officer said that understandings regarding most of the issues have already been reached, but that the army still had some matters that needed to be resolved vis-a-vis the Lebanese army and UNIFIL, especially with regards to tactical coordination and operation procedures in the event of irregular incidents on the border.
Last troops to leave Lebanon by foot (Photo: AFP)
Army officials stressed that after the forces complete their withdrawal from Lebanon, the burden of proof is on the UN and Lebanese forces, and their performance will determine to what extent the resolution will be implemented and whether the IDF will need to act in order to see that it is enforced. This refers mainly to gatherings and demonstrations by Hizbullah members near the border.
'Withdrawal has only symbolic meaning'
The forces in southern Lebanon have already begun preparing for the withdrawal, as some are located several kilometers from the border. the pullout is not expected to be prolonged or complicated, and will be carried out by foot. However, it is unclear at this point whether the issue of the village of Raghar has bee resolved, and it is possible that the army will prefer to leave a small military force in the area until the subject has been cleared with all levels."In actuality, the IDF has already withdrawn from most of the territory that was occupied by Israel during the war, and troops remain only in very limited areas," an army official explained. "The withdrawal in the next 24 hours has only a symbolic meaning. The burden of proof is on the people of the UN and the Lebanese army, and we are certainly optimistic that they will do their job in the best possible way. The IDF is prepared to assist them through the coordination mechanisms, but we would be able to say how well these mechanisms work only after sufficient time has passed," he added.
The official stated that the army was determined to see Resolution 1701 implemented, and that it would not be tolerant towards irregular incidents, including attempts by Hizbullah members to try and reach the border.
