France urges Israel to end blockade
Troops leave, but air, land siege continues.

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) - The French foreign minister called today for Israel to lift its air, naval and land blockade of Lebanon, saying it was unnecessary with the U.N.-imposed cease-fire holding.

Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy was in Beirut with his Turkish counterpart to discuss the deployment of a 15,000-strong international force to south Lebanon amid doubt about whether Hezbollah would lay down its arms or even withdraw them from the border with Israel.

Douste-Blazy said France would commit troops to the United Nations peacekeeping force, but he did not say how many soldiers. The international force, which will be bolstered by 15,000 troops from Lebanon, will police the cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah fighters that ended 34 days of fighting on Monday.

The diplomatic maneuvers came as the Israeli army withdrew more of its troops from southern Lebanon while Lebanese troops prepared to move across the Litani River tomorrow to take control of the war-ravaged region from Hezbollah guerrillas.

The blockade was instituted shortly after fighting began July 12, when Israel bombed the Beirut international airport, blocked seaports and began destroying road links to Syria.

"The blockade imposed on the airport and Lebanese ports should be lifted. We ask Israeli authorities to lift the land and sea siege on Lebanon. And we ask the Lebanese government to strengthen monitoring" of points of entry to ensure Hezbollah weapons are banned, Douste-Blazy said. "There is no longer a reason for Israel to continue the blockade."

Israel said the blockade is necessary until the peacekeeping force is in place to prevent the Islamic militant group from rearming.

"Israel cannot allow a situation in which Hezbollah could be strategically rearmed," Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said. In the interim, Regev said, "Israel will do everything we can to facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid to the people of Lebanon."

The U.N. hopes 3,500 international troops can reinforce a 2,000-strong U.N. contingent already on the ground within 10 to 15 days to help consolidate the cease-fire and create conditions for Israeli forces to head home, Assistant U.N. Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Hedi Annabi said.

Those plans, however, depend on the Lebanese government giving the order for its army to move south of the Litani. The Cabinet was unable to meet on the issue since the cease-fire because of divisions about what should be done about Hezbollah’s arms in the south. It scheduled a meeting for late this afternoon, the office of Prime Minister Fuad Saniora said.

Ali Hassan Khalil, a legislator who held talks today with Saniora on behalf of the Hezbollah, said "everyone was keen on having consensus."

The arrangement taking shape among Lebanese politicians, military officials and Hezbollah would call for guerrillas not to carry weapons or use their heavily fortified bunkers to fire rockets. For the time being, there would be no requirement to move weapons north of the Litani.

Israel’s military chief said Israeli soldiers would remain in southern Lebanon for months, if necessary, until replaced by U.N. and Lebanese army soldiers, Israel Radio reported.

Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz spoke in response to an intelligence assessment that it could take months for the U.N.-Lebanese force to deploy, the radio station reported. Yesterday, Halutz had predicted Israel would withdraw its forces from Lebanon within seven to 10 days.

In a sign of lingering danger in south Lebanon, security officials said an explosive detonated today in the town of Nabatiyeh, killing a 20-year-old man. The victim, Ali Turkieh, stepped on the bomb outside his family home. A girl in the area was injured by explosives a day earlier.

Aid officials said unexploded bombs littering southern Lebanon were forcing relief workers to move gingerly to deliver food and fuel to people cut off by weeks of fighting and to evacuate war wounded to hospitals. Lebanese authorities and Hezbollah sent teams across south Lebanon to clear explosives from the battlefield.

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