The Israeli army has withdrawn the last of its troops from Lebanon, military officials said, fulfilling a key condition of the August 14 ceasefire that ended a month-long war against Hezbollah guerrillas.
The pull-out concluded a three-month troop presence in Lebanon and cleared the way for the full deployment of an international peacekeeping force that will police the border with the Lebanese army.
Israeli military officials said the last soldiers returned to Israel ahead of the onset of Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity under military guidelines.
Israel has been gradually withdrawing troops since the ceasefire went into effect, from a peak of 30,000 during the fighting to several hundred soldiers. The final pullout was swift, taking just several hours to complete.
Under the cover of darkness, the roar of Israeli tanks and armoured vehicles could be heard moving across the Lebanese side of the border during the operation.
An armoured column creaked across the border at the Israeli border community of Moshav Avivim, leaving tread marks in the soil and sending a large cloud of dust into the air that was illuminated by the vehicle's headlights.
Later, the last soldiers were seen boarding a bus at nearby Moshav Zarit.
During the withdrawal, the military censor imposed an information blackout, citing security concerns, and the army set up roadblocks to block reporters from reaching the border.
Israel sent the troops into Lebanon shortly after Hezbollah guerrillas abducted two soldiers and killed three others in a July 12 cross-border raid.
More than 150 Israelis and 850 Lebanese were killed in 34 days of fighting.
