Israel denies naval blockade of Lebanon lifted

Israel has not lifted the blockade of the Lebanese coast, but is still coordinating the handover of control to UN forces, a spokeswoman for Israeli Prime Minister said Friday.

"The blockade is still in place," Miri Eisin was quoted by local media early Friday afternoon.

She, however, disclosed that Israel may end its naval blockade of Lebanon "within hours".

"The final coordinations are now going through and we are hopeful that within hours the Israeli ships will begin to depart ( the area)," Eisin said.

Earlier, a Lebanese government official was reported to say that the Israeli naval blockade was lifted when the United Nations took control of the coast at 12:30 p.m. (0930 GMT).

On Thursday, the Israeli army lifted the aerial blockade on Lebanon at 6:00 p.m. (1500 GMT) but postponed the end to a siege on Lebanon's seaports.

The Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that he was looking forward to a quick deployment of the international forces at Lebanese sea ports to replace Israeli troops.

Israel imposed air and sea blockades on Lebanon at the outset of its 34-day conflict with the Lebanon's Shiite group Hezbollah on July 12, which have severely hampered reconstruction of those parts of Lebanon battered in the Israeli military campaign.

Source: Xinhua