Israel sidesteps Annan’s call to end blockade

Israel says withdrawal will take time
Olmert said Israel hoped to pull out from Lebanon “as soon as possible,” but he also did not to embrace Annan’s proposal to pull out all Israeli troops once 5,000 international peacekeepers were in place.

“It isn’t on one day the 5,000 come in and on one day all the Israelis depart,” Israeli government spokeswoman Miri Eisin explained later. “It’s something in between, and it’s something that has to be ironed out, and it is being ironed out.”

Olmert, Annan and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni nonetheless all expressed hope the cease-fire deal would evolve into a full-fledged peace accord.

The deal could be “a cornerstone to build a new reality between Israel and Lebanon,” Olmert said in his news conference with Annan.

Israel has long sought a peace deal with Lebanon, but Lebanon has hesitated reaching a separate agreement with Israel as long as Israel’s conflicts with the Palestinians and Syria are not resolved.

Olmert said that the cease-fire could be “a cornerstone to build a new reality between Israel and Lebanon,” he said.

“I would like to emphasize that Israel has no conflict with the people or government of Lebanon,” he said. “I would certainly hope that conditions would change rapidly in order to allow direct contact between the government of Israel and the government of Lebanon in order to hopefully soon reach an agreement between the two countries.”

But Saniora reiterated his country’s position.

“Let it be clear, we are not seeking any agreement until there is just and comprehensive peace based on the Arab initiative,” the Lebanese prime minister said.

The Arab initiative calls for an Israeli withdrawal from all territories captured in the 1967 Mideast war and the establishment of a Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital — demands Israel rejects.

Annan works for soldiers’ release
Both Annan and Olmert demanded the unconditional release of two Israeli soldiers captured by Hezbollah on July 12, the incident that triggered the war. A third Israeli soldier was seized by Palestinian Hamas militants in late June and is being held in the Gaza Strip. His capture touched off a two-month-old Israeli military incursion into Gaza.

Annan said he would do all he could to win the release of the three soldiers. He said that during his visit to Lebanon, before coming to Israel, he discussed the soldiers’ fate. “I did not get the impression that they are not alive. I believe they are alive,” he said.

In a meeting later with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Annan said Israel also must lift its closure of the Gaza Strip and open crossing points there. He called for an end to the bloodshed that has led to the deaths of more than 200 Palestinians since the end of June.

Israel is the second stop on Annan’s 11-day Mideast tour intended to shore up the truce.

An international donors conference begins Thursday in Sweden, with organizers aiming to raise $500 million to help Lebanon. The European Union said it would pledge $54 million for early reconstruction projects.

MORE FROM MIDEAST & N. AFRICA

Mideast & N. Africa Section Front

Report: Bin Laden daughter hiding in Iran Bombs target Iraqi Christians, Shiites Reports: Iran protesters ‘savagely attacked’ Report: Hasan asked about killing GIs in '08 Destination of N. Korean arms cache is murky Captain of famed Exodus refugee ship dies at 86 Ex-President Carter offers apology to Jews Gates proposes $2 billion for unstable countries Mideast & N. Africa Section Front   Add Mideast & N. Africa headlines to your news reader: