Annan to meet Israeli captives' families

NEW YORK, Aug. 17 (UPI) -- U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan will work for the release of three abducted Israeli soldiers and meet with their families, the Jerusalem Post reports.

Annan was asked to become personally involved by Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni in a one-day visit to U.N. headquarters Wednesday.

She asked on behalf of Gilad Shalit, who was kidnapped by Palestinian militants on June 25 at a Gaza Strip border patrol, and Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, who were abducted July 12 by Hezbollah militants from Lebanon. That attack spawned a month of intense fighting that ended Monday with a U.N. cease-fire.

The Post reported that in a formal letter she presented to Annan Livni said, "The fact that the kidnapped soldiers have not been released by Hezbollah is a clear violation of (the cease-fire) and I expect the international community to continue acting to bring about their immediate release."