The two Western nations came to a last-minute agreement on the proposal over which they have been wrangling for days. Both sides were working Thursday evening on last minute changes in the wording of the document. Envoys from both the U.S. and France met with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan to discuss the proposal.
The resolution calls for an embargo on arms for Hizbullah terrorists but does not provide for disarming them, according to an Israeli government source. It also calls for an effective international force to patrol southern Lebanon, and be empowered to apply force and sanctions to any party who breaks the ceasefire agreement.
The five permanent member nations of the Security Council – the U.S., Britain, France, Russia and China -- met for talks on the details of the resolution earlier in the week.
U.S. State Department Middle East envoy C. David Welch is in Jerusalem and was meeting with government officials on the revised draft. It was expected the draft would be taken to a vote on Friday. However, U.S. Ambassador John Bolton was more guarded. "It is entirely possible we could have a vote tomorrow (Friday)," he said. "But I wouldn't put odds on it."
Israel’s security cabinet, led by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had agreed to hold off on an expanded ground incursion into southern Lebanon until this weekend in the hopes of reaching a diplomatic way to end the war.
The resolution calls for an embargo on arms for Hizbullah terrorists but does not provide for disarming them, according to an Israeli government source. It also calls for an effective international force to patrol southern Lebanon, and be empowered to apply force and sanctions to any party who breaks the ceasefire agreement.
The five permanent member nations of the Security Council – the U.S., Britain, France, Russia and China -- met for talks on the details of the resolution earlier in the week.
U.S. State Department Middle East envoy C. David Welch is in Jerusalem and was meeting with government officials on the revised draft. It was expected the draft would be taken to a vote on Friday. However, U.S. Ambassador John Bolton was more guarded. "It is entirely possible we could have a vote tomorrow (Friday)," he said. "But I wouldn't put odds on it."
Israel’s security cabinet, led by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had agreed to hold off on an expanded ground incursion into southern Lebanon until this weekend in the hopes of reaching a diplomatic way to end the war.