Israel to lift Lebanon blockade

JERUSALEM: Israel will lift its air and sea blockade of Lebanon at 1500 GMT on Thursday, having received international assurances over an arms embargo on Hezbollah, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office announced.

 

"United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, last night and this morning informed Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that international forces are ready to take up control positions over Lebanons seaports and airports," said an English-language statement from the office.   

 

"Therefore, it was agreed that tomorrow at 18:00 (local time), Israel will leave the aforesaid control positions and, at the same time, the international forces will enter," it said. 

 

Israel imposed a blockade on Lebanon on July 13 when it bombed the runways of Beirut international airport, one day after launching a massive offensive on the Shiite militant group Hezbollah.   

 

The Jewish state has kept up the restrictions despite widespread international protests and the start of a UN-brokered ceasefire on August 14.

 

Israel has said it would lift the air and sea blockade only once it was sure Beirut was enforcing an arms embargo against Hezbollah.

 

The international community provided such assurances over the past few days, Olmert's office said.

 

"Today, German experts and their equipment are expected to arrive at Beirut international airport. The Lebanese government and the UN have also agreed that German naval forces will deploy opposite the Lebanese coast," it said.   

 

Annan "also clarified that until the arrival of the German naval force, in approximately two weeks, Italian, French, British and Greek forces will carry out the mission as part of the responsibilities of the international force and under its command."   

 

Annan said the lifting of the blockade would help with the reconstruction of the country.   

 

On arrival in Madrid, ahead of talks with the Spanish prime minister, Annan said: "It's extremely important for the government and the people of Lebanon".

 

"Now the government... and the Lebanese people can dedicate themselves again to reconstruction."   

 

The EU's Finnish presidency also welcomed Israel's announcement as a "positive signal".   

 

Lebanese officials have blasted the continuing blockade as a violation of UN Resolution 1701 that brought an end to the month-long war in which some 1,200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers, were killed.

 

The blockade has also had a punishing effect on the Lebanese economy which imports 85 percent of its consumer goods.

 

Following Olmert's announcement Wednesday, Lebanese Information Minister Ghazi Aridi said the Jewish state lifted its blockade because of Beirut's "intransigent position" and "pressures" brought to bear on Israel.

 

Among other things, the UN resolution calls for Hezbollah to be disarmed and for the unconditional release of two Israeli soldiers captured by the group on July 12 in raids that killed eight other soldiers and sparked the conflict.   

 

Following the UN-brokered ceasefire, Israel has insisted that all traffic into the country be coordinated ahead of time and aid flights have landed regularly at Beirut airport after receiving Israeli authorization.

 

The only two companies that have been granted permission to operate regular commercial flights to Beirut, via Amman, have been Lebanon's Middle East Airlines and Royal Jordanian.

 

On Wednesday, Bahrain-based Gulf Air announced that it was returning to the Beirut market, as of Saturday, following the example of Qatar Airways.

 

British Mediterranean Airways, a franchise partner of British Airways, announced that would fly into Beirut on Wednesday evening despite the embargo.   

 

The Lebanese daily newspaper L'Orient Le Jour reported that requests had also been filed from Air France and Germany's Lufthansa to resume flights.   

 

In Paris, Air France said it had again begun taking reservations for flights to Beirut, hoping to resume flights from Friday.