UN Secretary General Kofi Annan called on Wednesday for an immediate cessation of hostilities between Israel and south Lebanon-based Hezbollah while a "political framework" has to be prepared for long-term peace.

"We need an immediate cessation of the hostilities that began on July 12," Annan told an international conference on the Israel- Hezbollah conflict which started after Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers and kept them captive.

"I call on Hezbollah to stop its deliberate targeting of Israeli population centers. And I call on Israel to end its bombardments, blockades and ground operations," he said.

Annan said a pause of the fighting would offer "crucial hours and days" for essential humanitarian work, including the distribution of relief aid and the evacuation of non-combatants and the wounded.

"A key stipulation for such a halt in fighting would be that the parties must not, I repeat, must not take advantage of such a pause to conduct offensive operations, redeploy or resupply."

He said such a pause can allow an international force to play a vital role. In the short term, it would help with humanitarian operations. Over the longer term, it could help implement relevant UN Security Council resolutions that envisage the disarming of Hezbollah militias and help the Lebanese government get control of the whole territory.

Annan said a political framework is needed so that the temporary cease-fire can be transformed into a longer-term process of enduring peace in the region.

"Such a framework should address several issues, including captives, delineation of Lebanon's borders and a mechanism for monitoring and guaranteeing its implementation," he told foreign ministers from 15 countries.

In addition, an economic package is also needed for the reconstruction of Lebanon, he said.

He asked the conference to urge the UN Security Council to call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, saying this could pave the way for further progress.

The United States, which plays a key role in the Middle East and has enormous political influence on Israel, has refused to back an immediate cease-fire. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who was at the Rome meeting, said any cease-fire must be sustainable.

About 400 Lebanese people have been killed in Israeli attacks, most of them civilians. Meanwhile, over 40 Israelis have lost their lives as Hezbollah rockets pounded northern Israeli towns and cities.

Source: Xinhua