Three hours till it starts... three and a half until it ends...

[Quietus]

There's really no 'ceasefire'. Essentially, Hezbollah will stop firing missiles and Israel will limit its operation to south lebanon, but the fighting does not end.

And Israel will only withdraw when the peacekeepers arrive.

http://today.reuters.com/news/articl...1-ArticlePage1

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

By Adam Entous

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel believes it will be entitled to use force to prevent Hizbollah from rearming and to clear guerrilla positions out of southern Lebanon after a U.N. truce takes effect, Israeli officials said on Sunday.

Israeli officials said such operations are "defensive" in nature and therefore permissible under a U.N. Security Council resolution which calls for Israel to halt "all offensive military operations".

Western diplomats and U.N. officials said they feared Israel's broad definition of "defensive" actions could lead to a resurgence in large-scale fighting, preventing the swift deployment of international troops meant to monitor a ceasefire.

The Israeli operations could include air strikes against arms convoys traveling anywhere in Lebanese territory, a senior Israeli official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

Major-General Benny Gantz, head of the ground forces branch, told reporters that the Israeli army will cease fire if Hizbollah will cease fire.

But he added: "The ceasefire is not a cessation of Israeli army activity in the Lebanon arena ... It will protect its troops and civilians."

Like Israel, Hizbollah has said it will abide by the U.N. resolution. But the guerrilla group said it will carry on confronting any Israeli soldiers on Lebanese soil.

"It will be a fragile truce," said a Western diplomat involved in the deliberations

CLEARING OUT HIZBOLLAH

The truce will mark the end of Israel's offensive operations, senior Israeli officials said.

But they said the army would press ahead with operations aimed at "clearing out" Hizbollah fighters from areas in southern Lebanon where some 30,000 Israeli troops have been deployed ahead of the truce.

A Western diplomat said the United States and other major powers would not object to such "mopping up" operations, provided they are restricted to the south.

More.....

[Productivity]

Both, within 24 hrs. First shot is irrelevant, solutions are all that matters.

[Reenk Roink]

Well, thankfully, the ceasefire is holding as of now, despite the occasional skirmish. If it were to be broken, I would guess Hezbollah. By the way, the ceasefire will not break just because somebody fires a shot. It will be broken when one sides escalates skirmishes to another war. Israel has already fired on Hezbollah fighters, but thankfully, no shells or rockets on either side. I'm cool with a few more military casualties, as long as civilians don't die.

[Hepcat]

Yes, no more civilian deaths. They need to conduct a more proffessional war.

[Idaho]

It's a fascinating business. I am really suprised that the IDF got as much of a pasting as they did. The Hezb AT guns seemed to have made a massive difference in counteracting the swift armour pushes. Forcing the IDF to fight with infantry making them vulnerable to snipers and ambushes from trenches.

Got to wonder why Hamas don't switch their tactics, get some AT guns and hit the Israeli army. The suicide bombers were always a failed strategy for a whole range of reasons.

[Duke of Gloucester]

I suspect AT guns are effective in defence, but using them offensively makes them vulnerable. I think Hezbollah's strategy is working just fine. They have provoked Israel into an unsuccessful and unpopular attack, undermining them politically whilst boosting their own standing.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Both sides continue with some low-level fire and counterfire -- fairly predictable really.

Interestingly, USA media accounts seem to indicate more hezbollah casualties resulting from Israeli gunfire following the "cease-fire" than during all of the preceding month. It would seem the cease fire is their best tactical move yet.

So, did the IDF "draw-down" the civilian-seeking weapons first or is there something I'm missing.