The United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, has confirmed that Israeli forces have completely withrawn from South Lebanon. UN officials who had been monitoring the withdrawal, verified that it was in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions. However the Lebanese prime minister has disputed the announcement, claiming that pieces of Lebanese land were still under Israeli control. The confirmation paves the way for the deployment of 4,500-member UN peacekeeping force in the border area. It is also expected to help restore the Lebanese government's authority over the evacuated territory, now largely controlled by Iranian-backed Hizbollah guerrillas.
