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Annan calls for end to blockade Olmert firm on Lebanon blockade
(about 2 hours later)
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has repeated his call for Israel to lift its seven-week-old 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 Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Mr Annan also appealed for the unconditional release of Israeli soldiers held in 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.
The UN chief met Mr Olmert in Jerusalem after visiting Lebanon as part of a regional tour to bolster the ceasefire 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Mr Annan said he hoped Israel will have withdrawn from southern Lebanon once 5,000 UN peacekeepers are on the ground.Mr Annan said he hoped Israel will have withdrawn from southern Lebanon once 5,000 UN peacekeepers are on the ground.
The UN resolution which led to the 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.
Pull-out hope 'No buffet'
At a joint news conference following their meeting, Mr Annan said the blockade should be lifted to help Lebanon recover from the conflict. 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/5293104.stm" class="">Haifa counts cost of conflict Mr Olmert did not respond directly, saying only that the ceasefire must be implemented in full. Mr Annan said the blockade should be lifted to help Lebanon recover from the month-long conflict.
"The international community must not divert its attention," until that happens, he said. 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 But Mr Olmert said only that Israel would pull out of the Lebanon "once the [UN] resolution [1701] is implemented".
Israel has previously said it will not lift the blockade until concrete steps are taken to prevent weapons for Hezbollah being smuggled into Lebanon. "[The resolution] is not a buffet where you pick up one item and leave others," he said.
Israel has also insisted it will not pull out of Lebanon until the expanded UN peacekeeping force is deployed alongside the Lebanese army in the south. "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 Annan said he hoped this could be achieved soon. 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.
"We have about 2,500 troops on the ground and we are going to try to double that number and get to 5,000 in the coming days and weeks," he said. 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.
"I hope that as we do that, the Israeli withdrawal will continue and by the time we are at that level, Israel will have fully withdrawn and we will have an effective, credible force that we can continue to build on." But finding agreement along the way is not proving easy, our correspondent says.
Mr Annan said he aimed to double the number of UN troops on the ground in Lebanon "in the coming days and weeks".
"I hope that as we do that, the Israeli withdrawal will continue and by the time we are at that level, Israel will have fully withdrawn and we will have an effective, credible force that we can continue to build on," he said.
The international community has so far pledged about half the target number of 15,000 troops.The international community has so far pledged about half the target number of 15,000 troops.
Captives callCaptives call
The secretary general also appealed for the "unconditional release of the abducted [Israeli] soldiers", a key Israeli demand. The secretary general also appealed for the "unambiguous and unconditional release" of the two Israeli soldiers whose capture by Hezbollah on 12 July sparked the Israeli offensive.
On Tuesday, Mr Annan met the soldiers' parents and promised to do "everything in his power" to bring about their release, said Benny Regev, brother of Eldad Regev, one of the missing men. Mr Annan said he discussed their fate with a Hezbollah MP in Lebanon on Tuesday.
Mr Regev also said the UN chief had promised to push for "signs of life" of the captives. "I believe they are alive," he said.
After visiting Israel, Mr Annan will travel on to Iran and Syria, countries with close links to Hezbollah. Mr Annan is also due to hold talks with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, before travelling on to Iran and Syria, countries with close links to Hezbollah.