Israeli military officials said the army withdrew the last of its troops from Lebanon early Sunday, fulfilling a key condition of the cease-fire that ended a month-long war with Hezbollah fighters, the Associated Press reported. The pullout ended a nearly three-month troop presence and cleared the way for the full deployment of an international peacekeeping force that will police the border with the Lebanese army. Israeli military officials said the last soldiers returned to Israel around 2:30 a.m. ahead of the onset of Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar which begins at sundown. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity under military guidelines. Israel had gradually reduced its troop presence since the Aug. 14 cease-fire from a peak of 30,000 during the fighting to several hundred in recent days. The final pullout was swift, taking just several hours to complete. Under the cover of darkness, the roar of Israeli tanks and armored vehicles could be heard moving across the Lebanese side of the border during the operation.
