Israel suspended air attacks on south Lebanon for 48 hours starting early Monday in the face of widespread outrage over an airstrike on a house that killed 56 Lebanese, almost all of them women and children.

The announcement - made by a State Department spokesman with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Jerusalem - appeared to reflect American pressure on Israel to make some concession after the strike.

An Israeli soldier takes a position in the grass as a unit moves along the border with Lebanon in northern Israel Sunday, July 30, 2006. Israel's ambassador to the United States said Sunday that the fate of the disputed Chebaa Farms territory will not be part of any deal to end the 19 days of fighting between Israel and the Hezbollah guerrillas in south Lebanon, however Israel did not rule out withdrawing from the area. [AP]

In addition to suspending air attacks, Israel will also allow the opening of corridors for Lebanese civilians who want to leave south Lebanon for the north and would maintain land, sea and air corridors for humanitarian assistance, officials said.

Israeli officials confirmed Prime Minister Ehud Olmert agreed to an immediate 48-hour halt in the airstrikes beginning at 2 a.m. Monday while the military concludes its inquiry into the attack on the south Lebanese village of Qana. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters.

Israeli warplanes struck suspected guerrilla positions in eastern Lebanon near the border with

Syria just before the suspension took effect, security officials said. It was not known what was hit in the area, where radical Syrian-backed Palestinian factions have bases.

The officials left open the possibility that Israel might hit targets to stop imminent attacks, and that the suspension could last less than 48 hours if the military completes its inquiry before then.

Lebanon said the Israeli suspension was inadequate.

"There is no cease-fire and there is no cessation of hostilities," Lebanese special envoy Nouhad Mahoud told reporters at the United Nations late Sunday. "We are looking for something much more than that."

Hezbollah did not announce any reciprocal gestures and there were no reports of rocket attacks on Israel overnight.

Page:

1

2

3