Premature to talk of new Lebanon intl force -Israel

JERUSALEM, July 17: Israel today said it was too early to talk about a new international military force being deployed in southern Lebanon to monitor the border area.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel yesterday said as part of efforts to end a dramatic upsurge in fighting between Israel and the Hizbollah guerrilla group, Group of Eight leaders wanted a new military observer force for Lebanon.

''I don't think we're at that stage yet. We're at the stage where we want to be sure that Hizbollah is not deployed at our northern border,'' Israeli government spokeswoman Miri Eisin said.

REUTERS

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