UN Security Council sets urgent meeting on Lebanon

UNITED NATIONS, July 13 (Reuters) The UN Security Council set an urgent meeting for tomorrow after Israel, responding to the capture of two of its soldiers by Hizbollah guerrillas, launched a wave of military strikes on Lebanon.

French UN Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere, the council president for July, told reporters the public meeting was being scheduled at the request of the Lebanese Mission to the United Nations.

He said Israel and Lebanon would be invited to address the 15-nation council, which also would hear a briefing by a UN official.

The meeting was set as Israel blockaded Lebanese ports and struck Beirut airport and two military air bases, expanding reprisals that have killed 53 civilians in Lebanon since yesterday's seizure of the two Israelis.

Hizbollah fighters rained more than 80 rockets on northern Israel in their heaviest bombardment in a decade, hitting Israel's third largest city, Haifa, the Israeli army said.

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