Lebanese army units deployed on Monday in border villages vacated by Israeli forces to take control along with United Nations peacekeepers of virtually all of south Lebanon, a Hezbollah stronghold for a decade. Lebanon demanded Israel pull out from the Lebanese part of the village of Ghajar, warning of ”trouble” if it failed to do so.
Helicopter-borne Israeli commandos landed near the southern Lebanese city of Tyre and clashed with Hezbollah guerrillas on Saturday, Lebanese security sources said. At least five people were killed in the night raid, which occurred as world powers edged slowly toward a deal aimed at ending the 25-day-old war in Lebanon.
Civilians fled battered villages in southern Lebanon on Monday after Israel said it would halt its air strikes but the Jewish state pledged to step up its offensive to root out Hezbollah guerrillas. Israeli planes fired two bombs into Lebanon to support ground troops.
Villagers flying white flags from cars, buses and pickup trucks flooded out of south Lebanon on Monday after United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice won from Israel a brief suspension of devastating air strikes. Rice said she believed a ceasefire to end the 20-day war between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas could be forged this week, but some fighting went on.