Sep. 19, 2006 12:32 | Updated Sep. 19, 2006 15:50 Home Front report cites 'total disorder' By JPOST.COM STAFF

Government ministries failed to properly take care of the Home Front during the war in Lebanon and "complete disorder" prevailed, according to a report submitted Tuesday to the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee by MK Ami Ayalon, head of the investigative committee into the management of the Home Front during the war.

The report also said that no one body had coordinated the Home Front's management, and that even when such a body was set up by the Prime Minister's Office, no definite goals were set for it.

The report also criticized the failure to officially declare a state of war.

At the start of the meeting, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz said that a Palestinian unity government weakened Hamas, cautiously adding that "we are carefully following events in the Gaza Strip."

The chief of staff also declared that Hizbullah was strictly adhering to the cease fire in the North.

"Since the end of the war Hizbullah guerillas have openly appeared without weapons or uniform," said Halutz.

The chief of staff added that as far as the IDF was aware there were no meaningful attempts by the movement to smuggle arms into Lebanon from Syria since the end of the war.

Halutz then declared that "if everything goes according to plan, there will be no IDF troops left in Lebanon by Rosh Hashana."

Before the meeting, NRP-NU MK Zvi Hendel called on Halutz "to remove his IDF uniform."

Hendel said the chief of staff should avoid "embarrassing himself and everyone else when he is forced to remove his uniform," Israel Radio reported.

Meanwhile, earlier Tuesday, the report investigating the management of the Northern Command with regards to the capture of the two IDF soldiers on the northern border was published.

The report, submitted to Halutz on Monday, highlighted serious failures and operational errors in the command.

Furthermore, the report claimed that the IDF's intelligence on the intention of Hizbullah to kidnap soldiers was not up to date. The report also criticized the management of the pursuit immediately after the kidnapping.