UNIFIL says Israeli naval siege lifted

The head of the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon said Israel had lifted its naval blockade of Lebanon on Friday after European ships began patrolling on Lebanese coasts, Lebanese ANB TV station reported.

French Maj. Gen. Alain Pellegrini, commander of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), was quoted as saying he was informed by Israeli officials and the Italian commander leading the naval task force that the sea blockade on Lebanon had ended.

"The force is now operational and I understand that the naval blockade is lifted," Pellegrini said in a statement.

The Lebanese government was informed by UNIFIL about the sea blockade lifting, though it made no official comment yet, an anonymous source in the prime minister's office told Xinhua.

The lifting of the siege came after that a naval force led by Italians and also composed of the French and Greeks began patrolling on Lebanese coasts under UN mandate at 12:30 (0930 GMT) Friday.

Israel imposed an air and sea blockade on Lebanon at the outset of its 34-day conflict with Lebanon's Shi'ite Hezbollah militia on July 12.

On Thursday, Israel lifted the air blockade, and a Lebanese airliner landed at Beirut's patched-up airport to mark the moment. But the Jewish country said the naval blockade would continue until an international force was deployed off the coast.

Source: Xinhua