Special report: Israel-Lebanon
Conflicts [
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Special report: Israel, Lebanon agree on
ceasefire
UNITED
NATIONS, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Tuesday
that the relevant parties from Israel and Lebanon have largely complied with
Resolution 1701 to halt hostilities.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL),
however, had observed numerous minor incidents and violations in a buffer zone
between the Litani River and the Blue Line, said Annan in the report on the
implementation of Resolution 1701.
"Significant progress" had continued to be made as
regards the gradual UNIFIL coordination of Israel's withdrawal and the Lebanese
armed forces' deployment into the south, said Annan.
Regarding the disarmament of armed groups in Lebanon,
Annan urged that the issue be solved through "a political process that will lead
to the full restoration of the authority" of the Lebanese government which, as
he expected, would define a time line for Hezbollah's full disarmament through
dialogue.
On the captured Israeli soldiers and Lebanese held in
Israeli prisons, the secretary-general said he had appointed an experienced
mediator to address the issue and both sides had said they were "open to a
discussion."
Concerning the disputed Shebaa Farms, Annan said he
was studying a Lebanese proposal to put the territory under UN jurisdiction
until the issue of Lebanese sovereignty over it, and the delineation of the
Lebanese-Syrian border, were fully settled.
The UN chief also said he was pleased that Israel had
fully lifted the aerial and maritime blockade imposed on Lebanon.
"I now look forward to the imminent deployment of the
UN naval task force off the Lebanese coast to assist the Lebanese authorities in
securing the maritime border," said Annan. Enditem
