Israel begins troop pullout from Lebanon as tense truce withstands early tests

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Israel began slowly pulling out forces from southern Lebanon and made plans to hand over territory Tuesday on the first full day of a tense cease-fire that already has been tested by skirmishes and rocket fire.

But Israeli and Hezbollah forces avoided any escalation, raising hopes that the U.N.-imposed pact could stick, as governments rushed to assemble international troops to deploy in southern Lebanon and firm up the peace.

Hezbollah's two patrons, Syria and Iran, proclaimed on Tuesday that the guerrillas had won the fight with Israel and thwarted America's plan for a "new Middle East" — a reflection of the two countries' boosted confidence amid Hezbollah's increased popularity around the Arab and Islamic world.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said early in the war between Hezbollah and Israel that any settlement should be durable and lead to a "new Middle East" where extremists have no influence.

But after 34 days of fighting, a cease-fire that took effect Monday brought a fragile truce, with Hezbollah surviving and Israeli forces unable to score a decisive victory. Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah has declared "strategic, historic victory" against Israel.

Israel and its main backer, the United States, however, portrayed Hezbollah as the loser — and by extension, its main backers, Iran and Syria. "There's going to be a new power in the south of Lebanon," President Bush said Monday.

As Lebanese refugees streamed home, Israeli warplanes dropped leaflets over southern Lebanon, warning residents to stay out of the area until Lebanese and international troops are deployed.

"The situation will remain dangerous," until the forces are deployed, the leaflets read.

Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon shot five Hezbollah fighters Tuesday in two separate incidents, but it was not clear if they were wounded or killed, the army said.

The Islamic militant group also fired at least 10 rockets in southern Lebanon, but none crossed the border into Israel. On Monday, at least six Hezbollah militiamen were killed by Israeli troops waiting for a peacekeeping force before beginning a full-scale withdrawal.

Israel is waiting for a peacekeeping force to deploy in the south before beginning a full-scale withdrawal. Lebanon was under intense international pressure to get soldiers moving south into Hezbollah territory — a key element in the U.N. Security Council plan to end the conflict that claimed more than 970 lives.