The French foreign minister on Wednesday called for Israel to lift is air, naval and land blockade of Lebanon, saying it was unnecessary with the U.N. cease-fire plan holding. «The blockade imposed on the airport and Lebanese ports should be lifted. We ask Israeli authorities to lift the land and sea siege on Lebanon.!And we ask the Lebanese government to strengthen monitoring» of points of entry to insure Hezbollah weapons are banned, said Philippe Douste-Blazy. «There is no longer a reason for Israel to continue the blockade,» he was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. Douste-clazy was in Beirut to discuss French participation in a U.N. peacekeeping force to help police the cease-fire, now in its third day.
