UN Working on Resolutions for Ceasefire, Peace-Keeping Force

After France and the United States agreed on a draft resolution to stop the conflict in the Middle East on Saturday, the UN Security Council began the unenviable task Sunday of considering the details of the text which would bring an end to the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

Security Council members are expected to prepare the draft for presentation before a UN vote which could come on Monday or Tuesday.

While the United States in particular were encouraged by the progress made on Saturday, those on the ground in the war-torn region were less so sure of the draft which called on Hezbollah to halt all attacks and for Israel to stop all offensive military operations.

Nouhad Mahmoud, a Lebanese envoy to the UN, told reporters: "We would have liked to see our concerns more reflected in the text," adding that there was no mention of a withdrawal of Israeli forces in Lebanon. “That is a recipe for more confrontation," he said.

Lebanon's Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said the draft was "not adequate."

"Full" but not "immediate" cessation of hostilities

The draft demands a "full cessation of hostilities based upon, in particular, the immediate cessation by Hezbollah of all attacks and the immediate cessation by Israel of all offensive military operations." The most glaring omission from the text is the statement pushed for by France which called for an “immediate cessation of hostilities."

However, the US also appears to have compromised, with a preferred phrase explicitly demanding the return of the captured Israeli soldiers also missing from the text.

The text received positive responses from other members of the 15-member Security Council which indicated a possible ratification at next week’s vote. A second resolution would be needed later to authorise an international peacekeeping force for southern Lebanon to keep the peace instigated by the first.

The White House said Sunday that it hoped for a vote on a UN resolution shaping an international force for Lebanon in "days, not weeks" and for a deployment as quickly as possible after that.

US Ambassador to the UN John Bolton said the Security Council meeting on Saturday was "very productive.”

"We received a lot of encouraging comments on the draft text," he said,

While US President George W. Bush was “happy with the progress being made” but also “under no illusions” as to the impact it may have, British Prime Minister Tony Blair welcomed the tabling of the resolution.

"The priority now is to get the resolution adopted as soon as possible and then to work for a permanent ceasefire and achieve the conditions in Lebanon and Israel which will prevent a recurrence,” he told reporters.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel praised the French-US draft UN resolution, calling it "an important step towards a halt in military operations."

"The accord on a resolution for the Middle East is a strong signal by the international community to the parties involved in the conflict," Merkel was quoted by a government spokesman as saying.

Israel continues with devastating air strikes

Despite the progress at the UN, Israel continued its bombardment of southern Lebanon as the Security Council welcomed the breakthrough; an air-raid on the village of Ansar killing five civilians early on Sunday to further extend the hostilities that began three weeks ago after Hezbollah militants captured two Israeli soldiers.

Israeli Tourism Minister Isaac Herzog said the Israeli army would "continue to act" until the resolution was enforced.

More Israeli air strikes were reported on roads on the eastern Beka’a valley and on bridges in the north of the country.

There were also indications that Israel was preparing for further land operations within Lebanon with Israeli planes dropping leaflets on the Lebanese city of Sidon, warning people there to leave.

The Israeli Defense Force said it intended to attack Hezbollah rocket-launching sites in the area and wanted to avoid civilian casualties.

Commando raids and increasing civilian casualties

Israeli commandos also hit the coastal port of Tyre in a raid on a Hezbollah position. Heavy fighting left several militants dead and eight Israeli troops wounded, the Israeli army said, while Hezbollah said it repelled the raid.

In other developments, Syria – which has its own army on the highest level of readiness – sent a letter to the UN accusing Israel of intentionally bombing a Lebanese village close to the Syrian border on Friday, killing 28 people, most of whom were Syrians.