Israel blockade set to end in Lebanon

JERUSALEM, Sept. 6 (UPI) -- Israel announced it will lift the aerial and naval blockade on Lebanon as the U.N. multinational force takes over security in the country.

The announcement followed statements from U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan informing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that the U.N. force was prepared to take control of security in Lebanon's air and sea ports, YNetNews.com reported Wednesday.

Israeli soldiers are scheduled to leave observation posts in the ports Thursday after manning them for the eight weeks since violence broke out between Israel and Hezbollah. International forces will take over the posts as the Israeli soldiers leave.

Italian, French, British and Greek forces are expected to monitor the coasts of Lebanon to enforce the arms embargo until German forces take over the position in about two weeks, YNetNews said. Germany accepted the job at the request of the Lebanese government and the United Nations.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh welcomed the end of the blockade Wednesday, but warned that Lebanon would remove the blockades by force if they were not ended within the 48-hour timeframe set by Annan.