Special report: Israel-Lebanon conflicts

    PARIS, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The French navy is ready to be dispatched to Lebanon's coast and patrol the Mediterranean to protect the area as well as to thwart any weapons shipments to Hezbollah, the French Defense Department announced on Thursday.

    Spokesman Jean-Francois Burot said the French military had loaded 13 Leclerc tanks on to ships and all equipment preparations had been completed.

    When details were worked out with the United Nations, French navy ships would immediately set off to Lebanon's coast to replace the Israeli military, he said.

    The French navy will join the peacekeeping UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to help protect the local coast and blockade arms from being shipped to Hezbollah.

    France already has two frigates, the Cassard and the Montcalm, and the transport ship, the Siroco, in the eastern Mediterranean. They arrived to support humanitarian and evacuation roles during the more than one month of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah militants.

    Among the 15,000-member UNIFIL, France will contribute 2,000 soldiers. Enditem