Israel, Hezbollah issue caveats on deal

Hezbollah says it will abide by a UN-backed ceasefire and Israel says it plans to halt offensive operations on Monday, but both sides issued caveats to their acceptance of a UN resolution to end the fighting.  Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's leader, said on Saturday that his fighters would observe the UN resolution ending fighting once the timing of the truce was agreed and adhered to by Israel.

"We will not be an obstacle to any [government] decision that it finds appropriate, but our ministers will express reservations about articles [in the UN resolution] that we consider unjust and unfair," he said in a speech broadcast on Hezbollah's Al-Manar television.

But he called continued resistance to the Israeli offensive "our natural right" and predicted more intense fighting to come.

"The war has not yet ended," he said. "That can be seen on the ground where Israeli offensives are still ongoing.

"Hezbollah has the right to resist Israeli soldiers still in Lebanon, but will co-operate with Lebanese soldiers and UN troops due to be deployed to southern Lebanon as part of the Security Council resolution," he said.

"We must not make a mistake, not in the resistance, the government or the people, and believe that the war has ended. The war has not ended. There have been continued strikes and continued casualties," he added.

Nasrallah also warned Beirut: "During the next period, the Lebanese government should bear its responsibilities with regard to political security, reconstruction, and humanitarian sides."

Israel said it planned to halt offensive operations in Lebanon at 7am on Monday (0400 GMT), but would "be cleaning the area" of Hezbollah fighters and weapons after that, a senior Israeli official said on Saturday.

"Cleaning the area falls under defensive operations," the Israeli official said. Such operations are permitted under the resolution.

"We are the tool that is supposed to drive Hezbollah out of the south so the UN force can move in," the official added.

Despite the UN resolution's demand for a "full cessation of hostilities", Israeli air raids killed 20 people on Saturday.

Israeli forces also made their deepest push into Lebanon in this conflict, some reaching the Litani River, about 20km north of the border between Israel and Lebanon.

The Litani is the line behind which Hezbollah is expected to withdraw under the UN resolution.

Hezbollah also continued to fire rockets into northern Israel on Saturday.