Israel lifts naval blockade of Lebanon

Israel lifted its eight-week sea blockade of Lebanon yesterday, handing control of the Lebanese coastline to an international naval task force.

The end of the maritime embargo, a day after Israel lifted its air blockade, had been a key Lebanese demand to help speed reconstruction of bridges, homes, roads and factories devastated during a 34-day war between Israel and Hizbollah.

"The blockade has ended," said Miri Eisin, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

Major-General Alain Pellegrini, head of UNIFIL peacekeepers in Lebanon, said the Italian-led naval force was operational and had taken over coastal patrols from Israeli vessels.

"The blockade has seriously undermined the Lebanese economy and it is high time for it to end so as to allow the people to get back to their businesses," Major-General Pellegrini said in a statement.

Many countries have criticised the embargo, which Israel said was aimed at stopping Hizbollah from re-arming, but which Lebanon saw as collective punishment.

"Israeli ships have been given the orders to turn over the implementation of the arms embargo to the international force. The international community will continue to enforce the arms embargo by sea to Lebanon," Ms Eisin said.

A Unifil spokesman said four Italian ships were currently supporting the Lebanese navy in monitoring Lebanon's territorial waters. France said it will supply two frigates, complete with helicopters, and a transport vessel for the surveillance force.

A Greek frigate carrying about 200 sailors left Cyprus for Lebanon yesterday to join the force, a Greek Defence Ministry source said.

The Italian, French and Greek vessels are expected to patrol the coast until a German-led naval contingent can take over in line with a Lebanese request to UN.

Unifil said it had already established a naval operations centre, and a team of security experts will start work in Lebanon on Saturday to assess what technical assistance the UN can offer at air and sea ports and border crossings.

Israel ended an air embargo on Lebanon on Thursday but held back at the last minute from allowing free shipping movement, saying the naval blockade would be lifted only when ships of an international force were deployed.

Israel imposed the blockade when it went to war with Hizbollah after guerrillas captured two of its soldiers in a cross-border raid on July 12. It bombed Beirut airport and coastal radars and barred most shipping from Lebanese ports.

Flights to and from Beirut resumed from Thursday evening and several international and Arab airlines announced resumption of normal services.

Italy said it would soon deploy more troops to southern Lebanon that along with the dispatch of other European soldiers would comprise an "effecttive ground force", opening the way for all Israeli troops to leave.

Israel has been gradually withdrawing forces from Lebanon since an August 14 ceasefire. Yesterday its troops detained four armed men in the southern Lebanese village of Aita al-Shaab, an Israeli army spokesman said. Lebanese security sources said five men were detained, all of them unarmed.