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| Olmert firm on Lebanon blockade | Olmert firm on Lebanon blockade |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has rebuffed calls for a swift end to Israel's blockade of Lebanon. | Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has rebuffed calls for a swift end to Israel's blockade of Lebanon. |
| Speaking after talks with UN chief Kofi Annan, Mr Olmert said the seven-week siege would only be lifted once the ceasefire terms were fully implemented. | Speaking after talks with UN chief Kofi Annan, Mr Olmert said the seven-week siege would only be lifted once the ceasefire terms were fully implemented. |
| The UN chief met Mr Olmert in Jerusalem after visiting Lebanon as part of a regional tour to bolster the truce between Israel and Hezbollah. | The UN chief met Mr Olmert in Jerusalem after visiting Lebanon as part of a regional tour to bolster the truce between Israel and Hezbollah. |
| Talks have also focused on the deployment of UN troops in Lebanon. | Talks have also focused on the deployment of UN troops in Lebanon. |
| Mr Annan said he hoped Israel would withdraw from southern Lebanon once 5,000 UN peacekeepers are on the ground "in the coming days and weeks". | Mr Annan said he hoped Israel would withdraw from southern Lebanon once 5,000 UN peacekeepers are on the ground "in the coming days and weeks". |
| The UN resolution which led to the 14 August ceasefire calls for a 15,000-strong force - significantly larger than its current size of about 2,500. | The UN resolution which led to the 14 August ceasefire calls for a 15,000-strong force - significantly larger than its current size of about 2,500. |
| 'Fixed buffet' | 'Fixed buffet' |
| The BBC's Jill McGivering, in Jerusalem, said Mr Annan and Mr Olmert emerged from their meeting with little sign of the gap between them having narrowed. | The BBC's Jill McGivering, in Jerusalem, said Mr Annan and Mr Olmert emerged from their meeting with little sign of the gap between them having narrowed. |
| UN TROOP PLEDGES France: Leadership and 2,000 troopsItaly: 2,500-3,000 troopsBangladesh: Two battalions (up to 2,000 troops)Malaysia: One battalionSpain: One mechanised battalionIndonesia: One battalion, an engineering companyNepal: One battalionDenmark: At least two shipsPoland: 500 troopsFinland: 250 troopsBelgium: 302 troops, later rising to 392Germany: Maritime and border patrols but no combat troopsNorway: 100 soldiers href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/5257128.stm" class="">Crisis in facts and figures href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/4785963.stm" class="">UN Resolution 1701 Mr Annan said the blockade should be lifted to help Lebanon recover from the month-long conflict. | |
| But Mr Olmert said only that Israel would pull out of the Lebanon once UN resolution 1701 was implemented. | |
| "[The resolution] is not a buffet where you pick up one item and leave others," he said. | "[The resolution] is not a buffet where you pick up one item and leave others," he said. |
| "So far as we're concerned we entirely accept this, this is a fixed buffet and everything will be implemented including the lifting of the blockade as part of an entire implementation of the different articles." | "So far as we're concerned we entirely accept this, this is a fixed buffet and everything will be implemented including the lifting of the blockade as part of an entire implementation of the different articles." |
| Mr Olmert said unless two Israeli soldiers captured by Hezbollah on 12 July were freed, the UN resolution "cannot be considered as fully implemented". | Mr Olmert said unless two Israeli soldiers captured by Hezbollah on 12 July were freed, the UN resolution "cannot be considered as fully implemented". |
| Among other measures, the resolution calls for the deployment of Unifil [United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon] and Lebanese army forces in the south, as well as the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon. | Among other measures, the resolution calls for the deployment of Unifil [United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon] and Lebanese army forces in the south, as well as the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon. |
| Lebanon will be the last Arab country that could sign a peace agreement with Israel Fouad SinioraLebanese prime minister Our correspondent says that although the relationship between Israel and the UN has been chequered, this time they are committed to the same goals - a secure, stable Lebanon. | |
| But finding agreement along the way is not proving easy, our correspondent says. | But finding agreement along the way is not proving easy, our correspondent says. |
| Mr Olmert said he hoped the ceasefire would ultimately lead to a peace deal between Israel and Lebanon. | |
| But Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora all but ruled out relations between the two countries. | |
| "Lebanon will be the last Arab country that could sign a peace agreement with Israel," he said. | |
| Captives call | Captives call |
| Mr Annan also appealed for the "unambiguous and unconditional release" of the two Israeli soldiers whose capture sparked the Israeli offensive. | |
| Mr Annan said he discussed their fate with a Hezbollah MP in Lebanon on Tuesday. | Mr Annan said he discussed their fate with a Hezbollah MP in Lebanon on Tuesday. |
| "I believe they are alive," he said. | "I believe they are alive," he said. |
| Mr Annan has now flown to the West Bank for talks with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. | |
| He will then travel to Iran and Syria, countries with close links to Hezbollah. |