US and French narrow gap on Lebanon ceasefire

UNITED NATIONS, Aug 10 (Reuters) The United States and France narrowed differences today over a UN resolution to end bloodshed in Lebanon, but it was unclear if Israel and Hizbollah were ready to stop fighting.

French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said in Paris he expected an agreement soon. ''Things are moving in New York today. I hope they move even more quickly and in the hours to come,'' he told reporters. ''We expect, from one moment to the next, an accord in New York.'' The key issue was to agree on a timetable for Israel's withdrawal from a narrow strip of southern Lebanon. Diplomats at the United Nations said a deal could be reached later today for a Security Council vote Friday or Saturday.

US Ambassador John Bolton told reporters, a deal was ''not unrealistic'' but ''we still have work to do.'' But the parties still seemed intent on fighting. Israel's security cabinet yesterday authorized more ground troops to enter south Lebanon, while Hizbollah said it was ready to turn the area into a graveyard for Israelis.

Russia's UN ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, said an agreement was ''not hopeless but still some tricky things to be discussed and worked out.'' ''It's difficult for Lebanon, difficult for Israel,'' Churkin said after the first of several meetings on Thursday among the permanent five council members -- the United States, France, Russia, Britain and China.

''There is a fairly lengthy text which is quite ambitious but it does contain a number of difficult issues which have to be worked out,'' Churkin said.

Bolton and French UN Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere met U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who had spoken to Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. Annan, UN officials said, also spoke to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

FIERCE FIGHTING Fierce fighting continued to rage in south Lebanon and scores of Hizbollah rockets rained down on Israeli towns.

However, Israel's tourism minister said plans for an expanded ground offensive had been put on hold to allow more time for diplomatic efforts to bear fruit.

''We can allow a little more time to see if there's a possibility for a diplomatic process,'' said the minister, Yitzhak Herzog, a member of Israel's security cabinet.

The main obstacle is that France, backing Lebanon, wants Israel to begin withdrawing 10,000 troops as soon as the Lebanese army starts deploying in south Lebanon, now controlled by Hizbollah's militia.

The United States supports Israel which wants to keep its troops in Lebanon until the arrival of a larger and better-armed international force, which France may lead.

France yesterday introduced an amendment, which says that as 15,000 Lebanese troops begin to deploy in the south, the Israeli army should start to ''withdraw behind the blue line,'' a UN-demarcated border between Israel and Lebanon, according to two council diplomats who asked not to be named.

The operation, France says, would be aided by a beefed-up UN peacekeeping force before the international troops arrive.

Lebanon, backed by the Arab League, wants all foreign troops to be part of a UN force, but France is expected to lead a separate UN-mandated mission, the envoys said.

More than 1,000 Lebanese and 121 Israelis have been killed in the five week conflict, sparked when Hizbollah on July 12 seized two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid.

REUTERS MQA KP2315