Israeli forces have withdrawn from the key town of Marjayoun in southern Lebanon and nearby areas, Lebanese security officials said Tuesday. During Israel's 18-year occupation of south Lebanon that ended in 2000, the Israeli military and its allied Lebanese militia had used the town as their command center. The withdrawal from Marjayoun, located 12 kilometers (about eight miles), north of the Israeli border began Monday, the day a cease-fire in Hezbollah-Israeli fighting went into effect. By Tuesday, there were no Israeli soldiers or tanks in Marjayoun, the security officials confirmed, speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to give information to the media. Israeli troops also were pulling out of Bourj Al-Mulouk, a town on the road halfway between Israel and Marjayoun in the frontier's eastern sector. But soldiers remained in nearby Qleia, the Associated Press reported. Israel hopes to complete the evacuation of its forces from Lebanon by next week, Israeli army officials said Tuesday, ending the military operation against Hezbollah fighters that began July 12 and left much of south Lebanon a wasteland. Israeli forces occupied Marjayoun last Thursday as they pushed deep into Lebanon in the final days of the fighting.
