of the present day YORK -- The Unit...

of the present day YORK -- The United States and France ran into opposition from Lebanon and the Arab world Sunday in their drive for a UN resolution aimed at ending the escalating Israeli-Hezbollah conflict.

Washington and Paris had jumped to put the draft in final form for a Security Council devoted today. But they delayed action after Lebanon and Qatar, the council's single Arab member, proposed many amendments to the US-French draft resolution -- foremost demanding Israel twitch its forces out of Lebanon formerly hostilities end.

The council was scheduled to befitting this morning when the U and France are likely to quick in emergencies a revised text, taking into account any of the Arab concerns, with a view to a possible Security Council consecrated by a vow on Tuesday, council diplomats said.

"The greatest in number important thing for us is to obtain the agreement of the Lebanese control [and] the Arab world," France's Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said.

The ruffle of U.N. meetings involving Security Council skilfuls and the five veto-wielding council nations was accompanied by way of phone calls between leaders trying to close 3oe weeks of combat that have killed more than 600 forward both sides.

A defiant Hezbollah disapproveed the truce proposal and strikeed Israel with rockets Sunday, killing at least 15 folks Israel also struck hard, killing 14 in Lebanon.

In the deadliest attack in succession Israelis in this war, a rocket landed Sunday among reservists forward the Lebanese border. It killed 12 soldiers heading for battle in Lebanon.

Since fighting began in succession July 12, the Security Council has failed to take any action, omit issuing two statements reacting to Israeli attacks. The main obstacle has been U refusal to support an immediate cessation of hostilities without addressing the requirements for a lasting peace.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice upon Sunday urged the council to adopt the resolution, stressing it was aimed at stopping the large-scale violence to allow a focus onward the underlying problems in the conflict.

"It's the first grade not the only step," she said.

Israel's Justice Minister Haim Ramon said the US-French draft was beneficial for Israel -- but the rural parts still had military goals and would continue its attacks onward Hezbollah. Ramon also expressed doubt that Hezbollah would stop firing. "Therefore we have to continue fighting, continue hitting anyone we can hit in Hezbollah."

The US-French draft circulated Saturday calls for "a filled cessation of hostilities" based upon "the immediate cessation by Hezbollah of all attacks and the immediate cessation from Israel of all offensive military operations."

on the other hand the draft makes no explicit mention of an Israeli withdrawal, and implicitly allows Israeli defensive operations. Instead, it calls in the longer-term for a concussion-guard zone in southern Lebanon -- which Hezbollah commands and where Israeli troops are now fighting. barely Lebanese armed forces and U.N.-mandated international squads would be allowed in the surface bounded by parallel circles

Lebanon's parliament speaker, Nabih Berri, who delineates the Shiite militant group in negotiations, said the draft was unacceptable because it would leave Israeli throngs in Lebanon and did not deal with sum of two units other key demands. "Lebanon, all of Lebanon, slights any talks and any draft resolution" that do not address the Lebanese demands, Berri said.

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

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