International pressure grows for Lebanon ceasefire

PARIS, July 31 (Reuters) International pressure for a swift ceasefire in Lebanon mounted today, France and Germany saying Israel's partial pause in air strikes was not enough and Russia calling for an immediate suspension of hostilities.

Israel agreed a 48-hour halt to air strikes unless it felt threatened, after an air strike killed at least 54 people in a Lebanese village early yesterday, but said it would step up its drive against Hizbollah guerrillas until an international force was deployed in south Lebanon.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice won the Israeli air strikes suspension after widespread outrage over the raid, the deadliest single attack of Israel's three-week-old offensive.

Russia, like France and the United States a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council with veto powers, said yesterday's tragedy showed it was time to stop the fighting.

''It is impossible to accept the logic and arguments of those who, under various pretexts, are dragging out (the declaration of a) ceasefire, especially as the international community is coming to a consensus on the framework for resolving the Israeli-Lebanese conflict,'' the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

France and Germany acknowledged Israel's temporary halt to air strikes but said more was needed. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the move was ''a significant first step that urgently needs to be followed by others.'' But French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin said an international stabilisation force could be deployed in south Lebanon only once a ceasefire and a clear political road map had been agreed.

DEPLOYMENT TRAP The difficulties were underlined when a crucial UN meeting, scheduled for Monday afternoon, to plan a peacekeeping force was postponed indefinitely.

''The aim is not to set up a trap for ourselves that would be a real tragedy for the international community,'' Villepin said. ''We would ruin the international process we are trying to put into effect.'' France, often mentioned by diplomats as a potential leader of an international force, is circulating a draft U.N. resolution on a ceasefire and EU foreign ministers were due to meet tomorrow to discuss the shape of a Lebanon force.

Diplomats expect member states to wait until a mandate is agreed at the United Nations before pledging troops.

''We want to speed up the adoption of a U.N. Security Council resolution and send out a signal that we want an immediate ceasefire,'' an EU official said.

''The Qana attack may shift positions, it can only strengthen calls for a swift ceasefire,'' the official said, referring to yesterday's Israeli air strike.

French President Jacques Chirac has said France may consider playing a major role in any force for its former protectorate.

Some experts say France could provide about 5,000 troops, but Paris has fought shy of saying if it would command the force or how many troops it would offer.

Villepin said the absence of a ceasefire and political accord was holding back contributor nations, a view echoed by Norwegian Defence Minister Anne-Grete Stroem-Erichsen.

''As a starting point Norway is positive towards such a force on condition that it is given a mandate and that its mission can be carried out effectively,'' she said in a statement.

Reuters SKU DB2225