Cease-fire goes into effect(?)
Contributed by Bill Faith
According to CNN, anyway: Fighting continues up until cease-fire
Israeli leaflets tell Beirut residents: Blame Hezbollah
BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNN) -- The scheduled cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah began Monday morning, shortly after Israel papered Beirut with propaganda leaflets, blaming Hezbollah for bringing "destruction, displacement and death" to Lebanon and calling the militant group a puppet of Iran and Syria.
The cease-fire took effect at at 8 a.m.(0500 GMT, 1 a.m. ET).
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So how long till I find the first reports that Hezbollah isn't honoring the deal? I'll keep my eyes open.
According to ABC: Israel-Lebanon Cease-Fire Goes Into Effect
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The Israeli army said in a statement the military was told not to initiate any action after 8 a.m. (1 a.m. EST), but "the forces will do everything to prevent being hit." There were no immediate reports of fighting continuing in southern Lebanon.
The military also would maintain its air and sea blockade of Lebanon to prevent arms from reaching Hezbollah guerrillas, a military official said.
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Jerusalem Post: IDF vows tough response to cease-fire violations
The cease-fire in the Middle East has taken effect. The Air Force, Navy, artillery and other units were ordered to halt all offensive operations.
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If Hizbullah fired Katyusha rockets into Israel after the ceasefire went into effect, the IDF, the high-ranking officer said, would see itself allowed to bomb targets throughout Lebanon, including in Beirut. "If Hizbullah breaks the ceasefire, we will see ourselves allowed to respond," the officer said.
Two hours before the cease-fire went into effect, the IAF dropped leaflets on central Beirut Monday, warning it will retaliate for any attack launched against it from Lebanon.
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But the question of will Israel do if Syria sends weapon convoys into Lebanon to help rehabilitate Hizbullah remains unanswered. "This is a serious question that requires a decision by the diplomatic echelon," the officer said. "We need to prevent the Hizbullah from rebuilding itself. The question is how far are we willing to go to do that."
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Since fighting erupted 34 days ago, 166 Israelis were killed - 114 IDF soldiers and 52 civilians.
While the ceasefire agreement was "fragile," the IDF planned to uphold its side to the agreement and to suspend all offensives against the guerrilla group Monday morning, a high-ranking officer in the Northern Command told The Jerusalem Post Sunday night.
[Time hack: 01:00 CDT, an hour after the cease fire supposedly took effect.]
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