| Israel says it will leave Lebanon in 10 days |
NABATIYE, Lebanon (CNN) -- The Israel Defense Forces will complete their pullout from southern Lebanon within 10 days, giving way to U.N. and Lebanese troops, Israel's army chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz, said Tuesday.
The first of 15,000 Lebanese troops could begin moving into areas south of the Litani River by Thursday, Lebanese officials said.
Meanwhile, thousands of Lebanese civilians displaced by the conflict clogged southbound roads, trying to return home despite warnings from the Israeli military that it was not yet safe. (Watch people take the perilous journey in spite of warnings -- 3:07)
Most of the bridges over the Litani River were destroyed in more than four weeks of airstrikes. Some people waded through the water, including mothers carrying babies.
The United Nations plans to deploy 3,000 to 3,500 troops to southern Lebanon in 10 to 15 days, said Hedi Annabi, deputy director of U.N. peacekeeping. They will work with Lebanese troops to create a demilitarized zone between the Litani River and the Israel-Lebanon border.
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