Israel, Hizb continue war; ceasefire from Mon

Israel was locked in fierce battles with Hezbollah guerrillas in south Lebanon where 24 of its soldiers died even as UN Secretary General Kofi Annan announced leaders of the two countries had agreed to "cessation of hostilities" from tomorrow.

The Israeli cabinet had opened its weekly meeting where it is expected to approve the UN Security Council resolution calling for an end to the fighting. The Lebanese cabinet has already given its nod and the Hezbollah had earlier said it would abide by the resolution.

Annan, who spoke to Israeli premier Ehud Olmert and Lebanese Prime Minister Fuoad Siniora, announced the ceasefire plan would come into force at 0500 GMT (1030 IST) on August 14.

Israeli cabinet secretary Yisrael Maimon today said the military will stay on in Lebanon until Beirut deployed its army in the south of the country and hoped it would be done in a week or two.

Israeli forces, meanwhile, mounted one of their strongest ground offensives in south Lebanon, sending nearly 30,000 troops to capture Hezbollah-held territories up to the Litani river before the ceasefire comes into force.

Twenty-four Israeli soldiers died in the fighting and eleven were seriously injured yesterday, making it the highest single-day casualty for the Jewish state since the offensive began on July 12.

Five of the soldiers were killed last night when the Hezbollah shot down an Israeli helicopter over their stronghold in south Lebanon.

Updated at 1230 hrs: Guns will stop booming in Lebanon at 1030 IST tomorrow after a month-long war which killed more than 1,000 people and caused $2 billion worth of damage.

The announcement was made last evening by United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan who had been assigned by the 15-member Security Council to decide, in consultation with the parties, the exact time the "cessation of hostilities" ordered by it should take effect.

Prime Ministers of Israel and Lebanon have agreed that cessation of hostilities and end the fighting would enter into force on August 14 at 0500 GMT (1030 IST), Annan said.

The UN Secretary General said he had been in touch with the two leaders to discuss with them the exact date and time when the cessation of hostilities called for the Council would take effect.

He had urged them that the fighting should end immediately to respect the "spirit and intent" of the Council decision, the aim of which was to save civilian lives and to ease the pain and suffering that civilians on both sides were facing.

"So I urged the parties to stop immediately and I would want to assure them the United Nations forces on the ground, UNIFIL, will work with them to implement the agreement and will monitor compliance," he said. (PTI)