Israel has begun to slowly pull its troops out of Lebanon. Civilians are streaming back into the area despite Israeli warnings that this is not a good idea until international forces deploy.
BEIRUT, Lebanon – Israel began slowly pulling out forces from southern Lebanon and made plans to hand over territory Tuesday on the first full day of a tense cease-fire that already has been tested by skirmishes and rocket fire.
But Israeli and Hezbollah forces avoided any escalation, raising hopes that the U.N.-imposed pact could stick, as governments rushed to assemble international troops to deploy in southern Lebanon and firm up the peace.
Syrian President Bashar Assad, meanwhile, said America's plan for a "new Middle East" collapsed after Hezbollah's successes in fighting against Israel, and warned the Jewish state to seek peace or risk defeat in the future.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said early in the war between Hezbollah and Israel that any settlement should be durable and lead to a "new Middle East" where extremists have no influence.
But after 34 days of fighting, a cease-fire that took effect Monday brought a fragile truce, with Hezbollah surviving and Israeli forces unable to score a decisive victory. Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah has declared "strategic, historic victory" against Israel.
Both Israel and its main backer, the United States, however, portrayed Hezbollah as the loser — and by extension, its main backers, Iran and Syria. "There's going to be a new power in the south of Lebanon," President Bush said Monday.
As Lebanese refugees streamed home, Israeli warplanes dropped leaflets over southern Lebanon, warning residents to stay out of the area until Lebanese and international troops are deployed.
"The situation will remain dangerous," until the forces are deployed, the leaflets read.
Given the fact that Hezbollah is launching rockets that are landing in Lebanon, it really isn't a great idea for the civilians to move back in just yet.
