Israel rejects Russia's humanitarian truce plan

JERUSALEM, Aug 11: Israel's UN Ambassador Dan Gillerman rejected today a Russian proposal for a 72-hour humanitarian truce in the month-old war between Israel and Lebanese Hizbollah guerrillas.

Gillerman said he met Russia's UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin to ''explain that a ceasefire of this type would serve only one purpose, to allow Hizbollah to regroup and recover''.

''We think this is a bad idea,'' Gillerman, speaking from New York, told Israel Radio.

Churkin introduced a resolution calling for a 72-hour humanitarian truce as a stop-gap measure should a US-French draft resolution on ending hostilities be delayed further.

''Unfortunately, we at this point came to the conclusion that we do not have an immediate prospect of this resolution being accepted,'' said Churkin. ''War is raging in Lebanon and the humanitarian situation is getting catastrophic.'' Gillerman, echoing comments at the United Nations by US Ambassador John Bolton, said Russia's proposed resolution would divert attention from efforts to achieve ''a much more multi-faceted and complete solution'' to the crisis.

REUTERS