48 hours is not a ceasefire in any meaningful sense of the term.

[Fridays Child]

Israel has granted Lebanese civilians 48 hours to leave. Imagine that: a full forty-eight hours to take care of every aspect of your family's life and then flee from your own home. How generous of the United States Israel. /sarcasm

[A-Schwarzenegger]

1. I believe it's 24 hours, not 48.

[Fridays Child]

5. Oh? Now it's only 24 hours? Great.

CNN originally reported that it would last for 48 hours--not long enough, to be sure, but certainly better than 24.

[jaxx]

6. It's 48. CNN and MSNBC both have 48

MSNBC News Services
Updated: 13 minutes ago
JERUSALEM - Israel agreed to a 48-hour suspension of aerial activity over southern Lebanon after its bombing of a Lebanese village on Sunday that killed a number of children, the U.S. State Department said.

The attack marred Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s mission to halt the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

The suspension of over-flights was announced by State Department spokesman Adam Ereli. He said Israel has reserved the right to attack targets if it learns that attacks are being prepared against them.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14100258/

[rzemanfl]

8. They attached a "signing statement" to it so that it means

pretty much nothing.

[Breeze54]

11. It's 48 hours

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=123&art_id=qw1154294820574M323

Israel suspends air strikes for 48 hours

July 30 2006 at 11:35PM

Jerusalem -
Israel has suspended air strikes in southern Lebanon for 48 hours
while it investigates the Qana bombings, an aide to American Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice said early on Monday....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope Hezbollah/Syria/Iran doesn't start retaliating during that time too.

[Tom Joad]

2. We better push it to last longer than that. And urge war crimes

investigations.

[warrens]

3. Ya gotta reload sometime

Might as well use it for a PR gain.

[Fridays Child]

4. A kernel of truth in that, no doubt.

:(

[rzemanfl]

9. Rest the pilots, service the planes. Unload those bomb ship-

ments from the USA.

[Bretttido]

7. 48 hours of no bombing, 24 hours to flee.

So if civilians are "caught" trying to flee during the 25th hour, they are free game?

[Karenina]

10. It's not meant to be

We're just talking turnaround time to load up the new DU ordnance the U.S. sent by overnight express.

[uppityperson]

12. 48 hrs to not bomb S.Lebanon, 24 hr for civilians to leave, reserve right

to start bombing if they see anyone setting up things to attack them (they believe) again.

Many qualifications. Better than nothing, but many qualifications.

[Mojorabbit]

14. The news says there are planes over Beirut

So if you are in the south and flee, you are fleeing into more bombing? Where to go?

[uppityperson]

15. what if the people in the planes think you might sometime be a threat?

it is a fucking start, but that is what it is.

[uppityperson]

23. bombing road to Syria, link here

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L31793962.htm
BEIRUT, July 31 (Reuters) - Israeli warplanes launched raids on eastern Lebanon on Monday, Lebanese security sources said, hours after the Jewish state suspended aerial bombardment of south Lebanon for 48 hours.

The sources said at least two air strikes hit roads near the border with Syria in the early hours.

[lonestarnot]

13. It's a fucking start.

[H2O Man]

17. Exactly.

There is an old saying that he who bemoans a lack of opportunity often overlooks the fact that small doors frequently open into large rooms.

I hope that everyone -- no matter what their belief on this tragic set of circumstance -- recognizes that two days of no killing (please!) is much better than the horror we have witnessed in the recent past.

We have the opportunity to contact our "elected representatives," and demand a negotiated settlement. The 48 hours is a small door, but if we invested the energy in contacting congress and writing LTTE, it may do some good. It's worth a try.

[lonestarnot]

18. Yes.

But there is speculation as to whether it is actually a cease fire or just a breaking in air to surface attacks. Not to stop letter campaign. Definitely worth a try.

[H2O Man]

20. Yes.

There is good reason to question if it is the calm before a terrible storm. That makes our actions more important.

[lonestarnot]

21. I will not hold my breath.

[Cleita]

16. Reminds me of previous wars when enemies would have cease

fires to celebrate Christmas. When it was over they were back to shooting one another.

:shrug:

[citizen snips]

19. it's better then nothing.

:shrug:

[Freedom_Aflaim]

22. Yea but its 48 business hours.

(sorry)

Back to the subject at hand. 48 hours isnt a long time, but I suppose its better than nothing. Imagine if we had the power to stop Katrina for 48 hours and get folks out of town.

I think that if I were in that situation, I wouldnt be trying tie up every aspect of my life(which is proably impossible anyway with the destroyed infrastructure), but would spend every moment getting my family to safety.

[Clarkie1]

24. It's meaningful.

It will be interesting to see what the Hezbollah militia does in the next 48 hours.