ISRAEL: Diplomatic efforts continue as Israel lifts its eight-week sea blockade of Lebanon

Record ID: 395402

  • Title: ISRAEL: Diplomatic efforts continue as Israel lifts its eight-week sea blockade of Lebanon
  • Date: 8th September 2006
  • Summary: (W3) TEL AVIV, ISRAEL (SEPTEMBER 8, 2006) (REUTERS) ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MASSIMO D'ALEMA AND ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER TZIPI LIVNI SEATED FOR PRESS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MASSIMO D'ALEMA SAYING: "I think it is a very important decision by the Israeli government to lift the blockade on Lebanon and in fact, today, this morning also the
  • Embargoed: 23rd September 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Israel
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: War / Fighting,International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA2DN09EKR8H5OGRX9ZHCJ2BQ1
  • Story Text: Israel prepared to lift its sea blockade of Lebanon on Friday (September 8) after an Italian admiral assumed control of an interim maritime task force to deploy off the Lebanese coast. "I think it is a very important decision by the Israeli government to lift the blockade on lebanon and in fact, today, this morning also the sea blockade can be lifted anytime there is possibility to control of the water of Lebanon with the mandate of the UN and the implement of the Lebanese government" Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'alema said. Israel said it was co-ordinating the handover of control of the coast to UN forces under Major-General Alain Pellegrini of France, but denied it had ended the embargo just yet. Israel ended an air embargo on Lebanon on Thursday (September 7) but held back at the last minute from allowing free shipping movement, saying the naval blockade would be lifted only when ships of an international force were deployed. D'alema said the lifting of the embargo was not a question of timing, but of ensuring that responsibility for patrolling the Lebanese coast could be passed to the international forces. "I think its possible to have in this agreement the withdrawal of the Israeli troops in less than 10 days maybe," D'alema said. Israel imposed the blockade when it went to war with Hizbollah after guerrillas captured two of its soldiers in a cross-border raid on July 12. It bombed Beirut airport and coastal radars and barred most shipping from Lebanese ports. "The lift of the sea blockade is not part of the Lebanese people, but the idea was to prevent the regulation of the armed embargo, so it was understood and agreed that Israel can open the blockade when the international forces come," Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said. Flights to and from Beirut resumed from Thursday evening and several international and Arab airlines announced resumption of normal services. Lebanon has demanded a lifting of the blockade to enable it to speed up reconstruction of the bridges, homes, roads and factories devastated during the 34-day war. But German Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier who was also in Tel Aviv on Friday (September 9) said it is not just the lifting of the blockade that is critical to ensuring the stability of the UN ceasefire.
    "I would like to point out again that it is essential now to implement the other points of Resolution 1701," Steinmeier told a joint news conference with Livni. An Israeli official said the delay was because the United Nations was not ready to take over the task of coastal monitoring due to differences over who would be in charge.
    Many countries have criticised the blockade, which Israel said was aimed at stopping Hizbollah from re-arming, but which Lebanon saw as collective punishment.
    Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said his country would investigate a claim that Russian weapons were being used in a breach of arm sales agreement.
    "As far as the question concerned related to the arms transfers our legislation is very strict. In all our transactions we strictly follow the international obligations of the Russian federation, and these rules which exists in Russia, they do not provide for the arms shipments to one country to be transferred to any third party. Whenever facts that violations that took place reaches us we investigate those facts and if this is going to be proven then we take serious measures," Lavrov said. Italy said it would soon deploy more troops to southern Lebanon along with the dispatch of other European soldiers would comprise an "effective ground force", opening the way for all Israeli troops to leave.
    Israeli media have said the pullout was likely to finish by the start of the Jewish New Year, which begins on September 22.
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