Two girls aged five and eight have been killed and six other people were injured, four of them children, when a landmine exploded on a road in southern Lebanon, police said. Earlier reports said a Hizbollah fighter had shot dead a Christian man, in the first series of killings since Israeli forces pulled out of the area last week. In a separate incident, three Lebanese men were wounded in a clash with Israeli troops, who fired rubber bullets and live rounds to stop a crowd attempting to cross the border.
In Jerusalem, the United Nations special envoy has held talks with Israel's Foreign Minister, David Levy. Terje Roed-Larsen is currently shuttling between Lebanon and Israel to verify Israel's military withdrawal from southern Lebanon. He is due to meet Prime Minister Ehud Barak later before returning to Beirut.
The Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Barak has ruled out further military withdrawals from disputed areas along the Lebanese-Syrian border. The South Lebanese region was a centre of support for the Israeli-backed SLA militia which collapsed in the wake of the Israeli withdrawal. Half of its population have fled to Israel, as Hizbollah guerrillas, now the main force in south Lebanon, moved into the area. Israel is reported to have been told by the leader of the Hizbollah that an Israeli airman missing since 1986 in the Lebanon, will be returned 'dead or alive' in exchange for the release of Lebanese prisoners in Israel.
In Israel, the country's President, Ezer Weizman has announced he is to retire from office on July 10th, three years before his term is due to end. Last week, State prosecutors decided not to file criminal charges against Mr Weizman for accepting cash gifts from a French businessman before he came to power. Mr Weizman was elected president in 1993. He was re-elected in 1998. In a separate development, the Israeli deputy Prime Minister, Yitzhak Mordechai has resigned. He handed in his resignation to the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak this morning. Mr Mordechai is currently facing three charges of sexual assault.
