Annan was optimistic that the blockade would end this week, he said, “because we are all working very hard; and with a bit of goodwill and reasonableness, we should be able to resolve it within the next 48 hours.”
Israeli officials were more reserved in their assessment, however. Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev told the AFP news service that Israel would not lift the blockade until it is clear that U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 is being implemented.
"When the Lebanese government, augmented by international forces is ready to enforce the arms embargo against [Hizbullah] Israel will be ready to lift restrictions on movement of people and cargo," said Regev.
Resolution 1701 calls for the establishment between the Blue Line and the Litani River of an area free of any armed personnel, and the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon. It also calls for preventing Hizbullah from obtaining new arms from Syria and Iran. Under the resolution, the Lebanese government would enforce the arms embargo, together with a newly-expanded United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL); however, the Lebanese government has been clear, that it does not intend to disarm Hizbullah.
Currently, all flights into Beirut International Airport must be coordinated with Israeli authorities prior to arrival. The Lebanese national airline, Middle East Airlines, and the Royal Jordanian airline are the only two carriers allowed to conduct regular flights into and out of the country.
The blockade was initiated after a ceasefire went into effect on August 14. The agreement followed a 34-day war that was touched off when Hizbullah terrorists crossed the border into Israel, attacked IDF troops and kidnapped IDF soldiers Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser.
The IDF hostages’ whereabouts are still unknown and Hizbullah has refused to provide details about their health status, despite numerous attempts by various foreign leaders to obtain the information.
The attack followed a similar incident less than a month earlier, when Hamas terrorists in the south of Israel captured IDF Cpl. Gilad Shalit in a June 25th raid on an army base near the Kerem Shalom border crossing with Gaza.
As with Regev and Goldwasser, Shalit’s whereabouts remain unknown and despite optimistic predictions by foreign negotiators, he remains in captivity.
Israeli officials were more reserved in their assessment, however. Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev told the AFP news service that Israel would not lift the blockade until it is clear that U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 is being implemented.
"When the Lebanese government, augmented by international forces is ready to enforce the arms embargo against [Hizbullah] Israel will be ready to lift restrictions on movement of people and cargo," said Regev.
Resolution 1701 calls for the establishment between the Blue Line and the Litani River of an area free of any armed personnel, and the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon. It also calls for preventing Hizbullah from obtaining new arms from Syria and Iran. Under the resolution, the Lebanese government would enforce the arms embargo, together with a newly-expanded United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL); however, the Lebanese government has been clear, that it does not intend to disarm Hizbullah.
Currently, all flights into Beirut International Airport must be coordinated with Israeli authorities prior to arrival. The Lebanese national airline, Middle East Airlines, and the Royal Jordanian airline are the only two carriers allowed to conduct regular flights into and out of the country.
The blockade was initiated after a ceasefire went into effect on August 14. The agreement followed a 34-day war that was touched off when Hizbullah terrorists crossed the border into Israel, attacked IDF troops and kidnapped IDF soldiers Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser.
The IDF hostages’ whereabouts are still unknown and Hizbullah has refused to provide details about their health status, despite numerous attempts by various foreign leaders to obtain the information.
The attack followed a similar incident less than a month earlier, when Hamas terrorists in the south of Israel captured IDF Cpl. Gilad Shalit in a June 25th raid on an army base near the Kerem Shalom border crossing with Gaza.
As with Regev and Goldwasser, Shalit’s whereabouts remain unknown and despite optimistic predictions by foreign negotiators, he remains in captivity.