Immediate Mideast cease-fire unenforceable- White House

WASHINGTON, July 24 (Reuters) An immediate cease-fire in the fighting between Israel and Hizbollah in southern Lebanon would be unenforceable, the White House said today.

''I think the notion that you have a cease-fire at this point is unenforceable and does not really get us to the point we need to be at,'' White House spokesman Tony Snow said.

Washington has been at odds with allies in not calling for an immediate cease-fire in the fighting.

Snow also told reporters that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is in the region, would announce a ''significant US commitment in terms of humanitarian aid'' to the Lebanese people caught up in the conflict.

''Humanitarian supplies will start arriving in Lebanon tomorrow by helicopter and by ship,'' he said. The Pentagon said earlier that it was winding down efforts to evacuate US citizens from Lebanon and planned to start bringing in humanitarian supplies to Lebanon.

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said some combination of US Navy ships and contracted commercial vessels would deliver humanitarian supplies including medicine and blankets to non-governmental relief organizations in Lebanon.

He said some humanitarian supplies due to go to Lebanon were expected to be delivered to Cyprus today.

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