Special report: Israel-Lebanon Conflicts   [Video] [Gallery]

Special report: Israel, Lebanon agree on ceasefire

   BEIRUT, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Minister of Culture Tarek Mitri said Friday that the Israeli marine blockade on Lebanon would be lifted within hours.

   Speaking to local radio "Voice of Lebanon", Mitri said that, according to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, the blockade would be lifted today or tomorrow at the latest.

   Meanwhile, Israeli government spokesman Asaf Shariv also said on Friday that Israel would lift its naval blockade on Lebanon within 48 hours, once the international forces take control of the patrol on the sea.

   However, Mitri stressed that the Lebanese government was keen on its forces being the number one body responsible for monitoring borders and would resort to expertise of other countries to achieve this.

   He said that Berlin had been in response to Lebanon's request for benefiting from German expertise in controlling borders.

   Israel imposed air and sea blockades on Lebanon at the outset of its 34-day conflict with the Lebanon's Shiite group Hezbollah on July 12, which have severely hampered reconstruction of those parts of Lebanon battered in the Israeli military campaign.

   On Thursday, Israel lifted the air blockade on Lebanon while continuing the siege of Lebanese sea. Enditem