Middle East ceasefire plan due 'within days'

A United Nations resolution to pave the way for a ceasefire in the Middle East could be agreed within the next few days, Prime Minister Tony Blair has said.

Speaking at his monthly news conference at Downing Street, Mr Blair said that the negotiation process between the UK, US and France was still at a "very critical time", although he said that the remaining differences were now "very slight".

The resolution would pave the way for an international force to be deployed to southern Lebanon where it borders Israel.

Mr Blair has been under pressure due to his refusal to support calls for an immediate ceasefire.

There have been reports of a rift in the Cabinet over the issue, particularly between Mr Blair and Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett, but the Prime Minister dismissed the reports as "complete rubbish".

Mr Blair stressed that his policy was aimed at securing a ceasefire on both sides of the conflict and said that any ceasefire would need to be sustainable.

Meanwhile, there have been reports of more Israeli airstrikes in the Lebanese capital of Beirut. Around 70 raids are reported to have been carried out in Lebanon overnight, with reports of large explosions in the suburb of Dahieh, which is understood to be a Hezbollah stronghold.

It was also reported that three members of the same family died in the southern Lebanese village of Taibe when their home was struck by a missile.

Meanwhile, in Israel, there are reports that six people have been killed as Hezbollah continues to bombard the north of the country with rockets.

Israel is now reported to have up to 10,000 troops in southern Lebanon. Fighting has been reported in at least five areas along the border and two Israeli soldiers are believed to have been killed.

In newspaper interviews, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that Israel would not agree to a ceasefire until an international force had been deployed in Lebanon. However, he said if Hezbollah continued to attack Israel, they would respond.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah's chief spokesperson Hussein Rahal told al Jazeera television that there would not be a ceasefire while Israeli soldiers remained in Lebanon.

Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said that more than 900 people had been killed since the conflict began, while more than 3,000 have been injured and one million people - a quarter of Lebanon's population - had been displaced as the result of the conflict.

The Israeli death toll is now reported to have reached 62, including 37 soldiers and 24 civilians.

Around 80 Hezbollah fighters have been killed, according to reports from Lebanon, although Israel has reportedly claimed that nearly 300 have been killed.

The conflict began on July 12 when Hezbollah fighters captured two Israeli soldiers and killed eight others.

(KMcA)