Israeli soldiers stand at an observation point overlooking the Israel-Lebanon border.
Antoine Lahad said his men will only give up control of the area if the Lebanese government guarantees they will not be prosecuted for their cooperation with Israel. He was referring to the bloodiest stand in Jewish history, when the inhabitants of Masada committed mass suicide after years of siege rather than capitulate to the enemy. But Lahad's threats were dismissed in Israel and beyond. Some of his forces have already defected to Hezbollah, the Islamic guerrilla group fighting for the liberation of the territory. Behind the scenes, housing is already being built in northern Israel to accommodate members of the SLA and their families who want to leave Lebanon altogether.