Despite their repeated assurances of a quick troop withdrawal from Lebanon, Israeli officials said Thursday they were reluctant to complete the pullout, though six weeks have passed since a cease-fire agreement ended a month of bloody conflict.

Large and small issues remain unresolved, involving Hezbollah, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the Lebanese army in the border area.

The Israel Defense Forces has said it plans to pull troops out in full by the end of September, and Lebanese newspaper An-Nahar reported Friday that Israel has informed the United Nations that it will complete the withdrawal by Monday, according to Israel Radio.

	Advertisement

But some IDF officials, speaking privately, said that while only minor details still need to be worked out, it would be difficult for Israel to complete the withdrawal by the Jewish holy day Yom Kippur, or Day of Atonement, which begins sundown Sunday, October 1. Nonetheless, the remaining disagreements are expected to be quickly worked out in ongoing security talks, and Israeli and UN officials said they hoped for a full Israeli pullout next week.

Security officials say a few thousand IDF troops are still just across the border in Lebanon. Disagreements about deployment of Lebanese and UNIFIL troops in southern Lebanon have delayed the the final troop pullout, despite the cease-fire that went into effect on August 14, based on Security Council Resolution 1701.

UNIFIL spokesman Alexander Ivanko denied reports of a disagreement between Israeli and UN officers over the international force, and said the United Nations expected the IDF to stick to its end of September plan for withdrawal.

"That is the force commander's understanding and we are working very actively on ensuring that that happens," he said.

The resolution calls for an international force of 15,000 troops to join Lebanese soldiers in patrolling southern Lebanon to prevent another outbreak of violence. It also mandates an Israeli withdrawal behind the border and requires that south Lebanon be weapons-free except for arms approved by the Lebanese government.

Israel insists this means Hezbollah militants must be disarmed, but neither the UN force nor the Lebanese military is eager to take on the task. Israel worries that a full-scale conflict could erupt at any time if UNIFIL and the Lebanese army do not take firm control. Hezbollah leaders boast that despite the Israeli offensive, their forces still have thousands of rockets ready to fire.

The concerns also reflect a widespread feeling among Israelis that the government and army failed to achieve their stated goals in the war  decimating Hezbollah and winning release of the captured soldiers. Now Israeli leaders are being extra-cautious in giving a seal of approval to the new arrangements by pulling out their last forces.

Other unresolved issues involve security arrangements for an Arab village that straddles the border, and coordination among UN war rooms that will be set up to communicate with each country's army.