UNITED NATIONS, July 20: Calling for immediate end to hostilities in Lebanon, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Thursday blamed both Israel and Hezbollah for the escalating violence in the region and said there were “serious obstacles to reaching a ceasefire”.

Addressing a special session of the Security Council, Mr Annan said Hezbollah’s actions of launching rockets into Israel and abducting its soldiers “hold an entire nation hostage and set back prospects for the Middle East peace”. He said a quick end to the fighting would allow aid workers to reach those in need and give diplomacy a chance to work out a package of actions that would provide a lasting solution to the crisis.

A UN team he sent to the region in search of ways to ease the crisis has concluded that a sustainable ceasefire agreement would be “difficult to achieve at this time.”

Mr Annan condemned Israel’s ‘excessive’ use of force and collective punishment of the Lebanese people, saying it had triggered a humanitarian crisis.

Main points of Mr Annan’s plan include the following: The captured Israeli soldiers must be transferred to the legitimate Lebanese authorities under the auspices of the ICRC with a view to their repatriation to Israel and a ceasefire.

• On the Lebanese side of the Blue Line, an expanded peacekeeping force would help stabilise the situation, working with the Lebanese government to help strengthen its army and deploy it fully throughout the area.

• The Lebanese government would implement the Security Council resolutions 1559 and 1680.

• The Lebanese prime minister would confirm to the secretary-general and the Security Council that the government of Lebanon would respect the Blue Line in its entirety, until an agreement on Lebanon’s final international boundaries is reached.

• A donor framework would be established immediately to secure funding for a package of aid, reconstruction and development for Lebanon.

• A mechanism would be put in place to monitor and guarantee the implementation of all aspects of the agreement.

Mr Annan said an international conference should be organised, with broad Lebanese and international participation, to develop timelines for a speedy and full implementation of the Taef agreement.