Promoted by Steven D
JERUSALEM (AP) Aug 13 — Israel’s Cabinet approved the U.N. cease-fire plan Sunday, clearing a key hurdle to ending the monthlong Mideast war.
The 24-0 vote, with one abstention, came a day after the Lebanese government approved the agreement, and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah gave his grudging consent.
The truce was to take effect on Monday morning, but the potential for new flareups remained high.
Cabinet session Sunday to vote on a U.N. cease-fire plan, telling ministers he hoped two captured Israeli soldiers would be freed.
● Hezbollah Gains as Lebanon’s Leaders Struggle
● UN Kofi Annan – Cease Hostilities Immediately
TEL AVIV (AP) 10 minutes ago — Hezbollah fired more than 250 rockets into Israel on Sunday, the worst barrage against northern Israel since the fighting began more than a month ago, the army said. The rockets killed one Israeli during the day.
Update [2006-08-13 13:25PM PDT by Oui]
“We’ll talk with Hezbollah on release”
TEL AVIV (Haaretz) Aug. 13 — Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday met with the parents of abducted Israel Defense Forces soldiers Eldad Regev and Udi Goldwasser and told them that Israel will negotiate with Hezbollah over their release. Defense Minister Amir Peretz also attended the meeting.
Olmert gave the parents an update on the UN resolution and on the steps Israel is taking in order to release the three abducted soldiers (including IDF soldier Gilad Shalit abducted on the Gaza-Israel border). The prime minister said that Israel is doing its utmost to bring about the release of the two, who were kidnapped by Hezbollah on July 12 on Israel’s northern border.
The UN resolution on cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon calls for the unconditional release of the abducted Israeli soldiers, but is not included as a binding section in the resolution.
TEL AVIV (The Jerusalem Post) Aug. 13 — MK Zvi Hendel (NU-NRP) said the opposition would resume efforts to topple the prime minister, ending a self-imposed hiatus on attacking the government during the war. He said inquiries would be made into Olmert’s handling of the war and that his mistakes would be exposed.
More than 150 Hezbollah rockets hit Israel on Sunday
“Olmert is not fit to stay in power, he won’t last one day longer,” Hendel said. “The ministers should listen to [Hizbullah leader Hassan] Nasrallah’s satisfaction with the cease-fire to understand how bad it is for Israel.”
MK Silvan Shalom (Likud) said the cease-fire was one of the worst Israel had ever been offered. He said Israel would not achieve any of its goals, including returning its kidnapped soldiers and the disarming of Hizbullah, while issues like the return of Mount Dov (Shaba Farms) and the release of Lebanese terrorists from jail had been put on the agenda.
Hezbollah is Road Runner? ◊ by Larry Johnson
Sat Aug 12th, 2006 at 05:50:21 PM PST
I never thought I would live to see the day that Israel would become the international equivalent of Wile E. Coyote, but that day has come. If Israel signs on to the UN Resolution they are lighting the fuse on the dynamite that will subsequently explode in their hand. This resolution marks a major victory for Hizbullah. Unfortunately for Israel, there appears no other viable course of action.
Israel cannot defeat Hizbullah without paying a price in blood and treasure that it cannot sustain politically.
In fact, Israel runs a real risk of damaging its military effectiveness because of the significant casualties among its officer corps. Unlike the American Army, the Israelis rely on officers rather than non-commissioned officers to lead their units.
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Pat Lang offers the following keen analysis and identifies critical unanswered questions at his blog, Sic Semper Tyrannis
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."
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