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40,000 troops poised to enter Lebanon
=20
The IDF General Staff postponed the expansion of ground operations in =
south Lebanon late Wednesday night, after the security cabinet earlier =
in the day approved a plan for a widened offensive that would take the =
army to the Litani River, over 20 kilometers from the border, and =
beyond, in an effort to prevent the incessant Katyusha rocket attacks on =
northern Israel.=20
40,000 IDF troops and reservists were massed along the northern border =
Wednesday evening in preparation for Israel's largest and deepest ground =
incursion into southern Lebanon since the beginning of Operation Change =
of Direction last month.=20
Some 7,000 IDF troops were operating in southern Lebanon Wednesday, =
clashing with Hizbullah guerrillas in several villages while holding and =
maintaining position along a 10-kilometer-deep security zone the IDF had =
created.=20
A high-ranking IDF officer and member of the General Staff told The =
Jerusalem Post Wednesday that it would take the military at least one =
week to reach the Litani and beyond, and to set up position and begin =
taking control of the area.=20
The officer said that it would then take four to six weeks to clear out =
southern Lebanon, from the Litani river south, of the Hizbullah presence =
and to destroy the thousands of Katyusha rockets and rocket launchers =
believed to be in that area.=20
The IDF estimates that the area between the Litani river and the =
security zone that military forces are currently maintaining is home to =
70 percent of the Katyusha rockets launched at northern Israel.=20
In the plan approved by the cabinet on Wednesday, the IDF was also =
granted permission to cross the Litani river into areas like Nabatiyeh, =
from where Hizbullah has been firing rockets at the upper Galilee, as =
well as Haifa and other coast-lying cities.=20
Hizbullah's Nasser Unit, in charge of southern Lebanon, was still =
operational, the high-ranking officer said, and numbered several =
thousand Hizbullah fighters, including reservists, which the guerrilla =
group had called up in anticipation of Israel's planned massive ground =
incursion.=20
Hizbullah, the officer said, still retained its command and control =
abilities throughout Lebanon and had fighters deployed in between =
100-130 villages from the Litani south. North of the river, the officer =
said, Hizbullah had a smaller presence, but one that still numbered =
several thousand fighters.=20
In southern Lebanon, within the security zone the IDF had created, =
soldiers were still battling in two Hizbullah strongholds - Bint Jbail =
and Ayta a-Shaab, scenes of heavy fighting between IDF troops and =
Hizbullah gunmen on Wednesday.=20
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN class=3DarticleHead><STRONG><FONT =
size=3D4>40,000=20
troops poised to enter Lebanon</FONT></STRONG></SPAN><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial><SPAN class=3Dlead><FONT size=3D2> </FONT>
<P><FONT size=3D2>The IDF General Staff postponed the expansion of =
ground=20
operations in south Lebanon late Wednesday night, after the security =
cabinet=20
earlier in the day approved a plan for a widened offensive that would =
take the=20
army to the Litani River, over 20 kilometers from the border, and =
beyond, in an=20
effort to prevent the incessant Katyusha rocket attacks on northern =
Israel.=20
</FONT>
<P><FONT size=3D2>40,000 IDF troops and reservists were massed along the =
northern=20
border Wednesday evening in preparation for Israel's largest and deepest =
ground=20
incursion into southern Lebanon since the beginning of Operation Change =
of=20
Direction last month. </FONT>
<P><FONT size=3D2>Some 7,000 IDF troops were operating in southern =
Lebanon=20
Wednesday, clashing with Hizbullah guerrillas in several villages while =
holding=20
and maintaining position along a 10-kilometer-deep security zone the IDF =
had=20
created. </FONT>
<P><FONT size=3D2>A high-ranking IDF officer and member of the General =
Staff told=20
<I>The Jerusalem Post</I> Wednesday that it would take the military at =
least one=20
week to reach the Litani and beyond, and to set up position and begin =
taking=20
control of the area. </FONT>
<P><FONT size=3D2>The officer said that it would then take four to six =
weeks to=20
clear out southern Lebanon, from the Litani river south, of the =
Hizbullah=20
presence and to destroy the thousands of Katyusha rockets and rocket =
launchers=20
believed to be in that area. </FONT>
<P><FONT size=3D2>The IDF estimates that the area between the Litani =
river and the=20
security zone that military forces are currently maintaining is home to =
70=20
percent of the Katyusha rockets launched at northern Israel. </FONT>
<P><FONT size=3D2>In the plan approved by the cabinet on Wednesday, the =
IDF was=20
also granted permission to cross the Litani river into areas like =
Nabatiyeh,=20
from where Hizbullah has been firing rockets at the upper Galilee, as =
well as=20
Haifa and other coast-lying cities. </FONT>
<P><FONT size=3D2>Hizbullah's Nasser Unit, in charge of southern =
Lebanon, was=20
still operational, the high-ranking officer said, and numbered several =
thousand=20
Hizbullah fighters, including reservists, which the guerrilla group had =
called=20
up in anticipation of Israel's planned massive ground incursion. </FONT>
<P><FONT size=3D2>Hizbullah, the officer said, still retained its =
command and=20
control abilities throughout Lebanon and had fighters deployed in =
between=20
100-130 villages from the Litani south. North of the river, the officer =
said,=20
Hizbullah had a smaller presence, but one that still numbered several =
thousand=20
fighters. </FONT>
<P><FONT size=3D2>In southern Lebanon, within the security zone the IDF =
had=20
created, soldiers were still battling in two Hizbullah strongholds - =
Bint Jbail=20
and Ayta a-Shaab, scenes of heavy fighting between IDF troops and =
Hizbullah=20
gunmen on Wednesday.</FONT></SPAN><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman"> =
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