Annan Calls for End to Lebanon Blockade

Israel must lift its air and sea blockade of Lebanon, which the Lebanese people see as a "humiliation and infringement of their sovereignty", Kofi Annan warned today.

The UN secretary general renewed his call for the end of the blockade in Jerusalem after meeting the Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert.

Mr Olmert rebuffed the call, making no commitments on the blockade and sidestepping the issue during a press conference.

However, speaking in Beirut, the Lebanese prime minister Fuad Saniora, said he believes the blockade could be lifted "in the next few days". He said he felt Mr Annan's efforts to lift the blockade were "sincere".

Mr Annan, who was in Israel after a trip to Lebanon earlier this week, was seeking to strengthen the two-week-old ceasefire, which ended 34 days of fighting between Israel and Hizbullah fighters. He said ending the blockade was a key step towards help Lebanon's economy recover.

Israel has refused to lift the blockade on Lebanon, saying UN troops must first deploy along the Lebanese frontier with Syria to prevent Hizbullah re-arming.

Lebanon has said it will deploy its own forces there, but not international troops. Mr Annan has backed that approach.

Today, he said Beirut was responsible for controlling Lebanon's borders but added that Lebanese officials had assured him they were taking measures to stop the flow of weapons.

Mr Annan said he believed Israel's security concerns could be addressed. "In the meantime, I do believe the blockade should be lifted," he added.

Mr Olmert did not respond specifically to Mr Annan's demand, saying only that the ceasefire deal must be implemented in its entirety. "The international community must not divert its attention" until that happens, he said.

Mr Olmert, who has been facing increasing pressure domestically over his handling of the conflict, said he hoped the ceasefire would provide an opening for contact between Israel and Lebanon.

"I hope the conditions will change rapidly to allow direct contact between the government of Israel and the government of Lebanon, to hopefully reach agreement between the two countries."

The ceasefire deal could be "a cornerstone to build a new reality between Israel and Lebanon", Mr Olmert said.

Mr Saniora appeared to dash hopes of greater contact with Israel. "Lebanon will be the last Arab country that could sign a peace agreement with Israel," he told reporters in Beirut.

Speaking in Jerusalem, Mr Annan said he hoped soon to double to 5,000 the number of UN troops currently in southern Lebanon. The UN secretary general said: "We should all work together to ensure that this time the fragile peace that we are solidifying in Lebanon is for good, and that we are not going to see another escalation."

Mr Annan spoke earlier with the Israeli defence minister, Amir Peretz, who said Israel would pull out thousands of troops that remained in southern Lebanon once a "reasonable" number of UN soldiers had deployed. He did not specify a figure. UN security council resolution 1701 calls for deployment of 15,000 peacekeepers by November 4.

Mr Annan said he would do everything he could to bring about the release of three captured Israeli soldiers. Hizbullah captured two soldiers on July 12 on the Israel-Lebanon border, in an incident that Israel said triggered its huge military response. Palestinian militants linked with Hamas seized a third Israeli soldier in late June.

Mr Annan said he had met Hizbullah officials in Lebanon, and had the impression the soldiers were still alive.

However, hopes of quick movement on the prisoner issue were set back when a Hizbullah cabinet minister said the group would not release them unconditionally, and that they would only be freed in a prisoner exchange.

Speaking in Beirut, Mohammed Fneish, one of two Hizbullah members in Lebanon's cabinet, said: "There should be an exchange through indirect negotiations." After leaving Jerusalem, Mr Annan travelled to Ramallah in the West Bank for talks with the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas. After private talks, Mr Annan demanded that Israel lift its closure of the Gaza Strip and open crossing points there.

He also called for an end to the most recent outbreak of fighting between Israel and the Palestinians. "Over 200 Palestinians have been killed since the end of June. This must stop immediately," Mr Annan said.

In addition, he asked Israel to re-open cargo and pedestrian crossing points in Gaza. They have been closed for long periods this year following security alerts and attacks by Palestinian militants, causing widespread hardship for the Palestinian people. Mr Annan said: "I have made my feelings known in talks with Israeli officials."

UN aides have said Mr Annan will also travel to Syria and Iran, Hizbullah's main backers, later in the week.

In Stockholm, organisers of a donors conference for Lebanon said they were counting on dozens of aid ministers to arrive in a generous mood and hope to raise US$500m (£262m).