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Lebanon

Israel expected to lift sea blockade on Lebanon Saturday evening

Tel Aviv_(dpa) _ Israel is expected to lift its sea blockade on Lebanon Saturday evening, Israel Army Radio reported.

Israel formally lifted its air blockade on Lebanon at 6 p.m. (1500 GMT) Thursday and pledged to remove the maritime blockade at the same time, but announced a delay in the latter.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Tuesday night the maritime blockade would be lifted as soon as Italian, French and Greek naval forces arrived in the area to enforce an arms embargo on the Lebanese Hezbollah movement.

In a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Olmert said that Israel was willing to discuss the issue of the disputed Sheba'a Farms, if the United Nations determined that the area was Lebanese and not Syrian, as it had earlier ruled.

"We decided today, in coordination with the commander of UN forces in the Middle East, General (Alain) Pelligrini, not to lift the naval blockade of Lebanon at this stage until the arrival of the naval forces necessary to maintain this blockade in place," Olmert said.

"I very much hope that the Italian, French and Greek naval forces necessary to continue the supervision of Lebanon's ports will be ready shortly and that we will be able to evacuate when they take up positions," he added.

Israel would not fully implement United Nations Security Council resolution 1701 until the release of two of its soldiers, whose abduction by Hezbollah in a cross-border raid on July 12 triggered the 33-day military operation, Olmert stressed.

He also said Israel was willing to make a "gesture" to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and to release Palestinian prisoners as a "signal" that it was strengthening the moderates in the Palestinian autonomous areas.

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