DOHA, Sept 4: Qatar on Monday became the first Arab country to commit troops to the expanded UN force set up to keep the peace between Israel and Hezbollah guerillas in south Lebanon.

The Gulf state said it would contribute 200-300 troops to the UN force and planned to send a civilian airliner to Beirut despite a nearly eight-week-old Israeli air and sea blockade.

The planned deployment was announced by Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad al-Thani during a visit to Doha by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Speaking to reporters, Annan said the United Nations hoped the expanded UN force would be a “manifestation of international solidarity” with Lebanon. He also urged Israel to lift its siege of the country, saying it was unsustainable.

“We are using the UN influence to lift the embargo especially as Lebanon is trying to rebuild... It has to be allowed to rebuild. I urge Israel to cooperate,” he said.

Qatar, a political maverick in the conservative Gulf Arab region, maintains low-level ties with Israel. It is also a key US ally and hosts a major US military base.

“Qatar has relations with Israel and as a result Israel has no objection to its participation in the force,” Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said.—Reuters