Israel, Hezbollah agree to U.N. mediator

JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia – Israel has maintained for weeks it would not negotiate with Hezbollah over the release of two soldiers whose capture sparked Israel’s massive offensive in Lebanon.

But with few options to get them back and in effort to avoid a return to war, it has given the green light to the United Nations to mediate with the guerrillas.

U.N. chief Kofi Annan said Monday he would appoint a mediator for indirect talks, the first public word of negotiations between the bitter enemies since fighting in Lebanon ended.

The announcement raised the possibility of a prisoner swap to win the soldiers’ release, an exchange that Israel has repeatedly rejected, at least in public. But its government has been under increasing domestic pressure to bring the two home.

The agreement could mark a breakthrough on an issue that is crucial to preserving the fragile three-week-old cease-fire that ended 34 days of Israel-Hezbollah fighting. Israel mounted its offensive in Lebanon after the Shiite guerrillas seized the two soldiers and killed three others in a cross-border raid July 12.

The U.N. cease-fire resolution that ended the fighting on Aug. 14 urges the unconditional release of the two soldiers. Hezbollah has said it would free them only in a swap for Arab prisoners held by Israel.

“Both sides have accepted the good offices of the secretary-general to help resolve this problem,” Annan told a news conference in Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port of Jiddah. “I will designate someone to work discreetly and quietly with them to find a solution.”

“The only thing that I insisted on is that if I’m going to use my good offices, then my mediator should be the only mediator,” he said. “There must be one mediator and effective channel of communication.” Annan said he would not announce the mediator’s name to allow him to work quietly.

Annan did not say whether a prisoner swap was on the agenda for the mediation effort, and Israel on Monday repeated its stance demanding an unconditional release of the soldiers.

Asked about the mediation effort, Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said that during Annan’s visit to Israel last week, “we urged him to bring about the full implementation of U.N. Security Council resolution 1701, which calls for the immediate and unconditional release of the hostages.”

There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah officials.

American civil rights leader Jesse Jackson met with Hezbollah officials in Lebanon on Monday and asked them to show proof that the two Israeli soldiers are still alive, saying such a move could give a boost to negotiations. Jackson, who has been in the region for the past 10 days, said the continued detention of the soldiers is “becoming a magnet to attract a second round” of war.

The resolution also calls for a 15,000-member U.N. peacekeeping force to deploy in southern Lebanon to keep Hezbollah weapons away from the border with Israel.

Qatar on Monday became the first Arab nation to announce it will contribute to the force, pledging 200 to 300 soldiers. Pakistan’s prime minister toured devastated south Beirut and considered a similar offer.

An Israeli spokesman said his country had no objections to Qatari troops. Qatar – like most other Arab states – does not recognize Israel, but the two countries have low-level trade ties.