Israel lifts air blockade over Lebanon

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) — With a low-flying passenger jet circling the capital, Lebanon put on a boisterous show Thursday to celebrate the end of Israel's air blockade. But Israel said its closure of Lebanon's ports will remain in force until international forces arrive to watch the seas.

Lebanon's prime minister and Israeli officials said they expected the naval blockade to end within days, once French, Italian and Greek navy vessels start patrolling to prevent weapons shipments to Hezbollah.

The opening of the airport will be the first test for the U.N. peacekeeping force's ability to keep out weapons. Hezbollah is widely believed to have received weapons and other support from its backers Syria and Iran. The land route to neighboring Syria has already been reopened, with the Lebanese government posting thousands of troops along the rugged frontier to prevent smuggling.

The blockade of Lebanon has hampered reconstruction and cost the country some $50 million a day. At one point the blockade caused severe fuel shortages in Lebanon, leading to long lines at gas stations and forcing the electric company to ration power.

Lebanese expressed joy and relief over the end of the nearly 2-month-old air blockade. The sealing of the entry points by air and sea has stifled the country, which imports almost everything, and threatened to derail the U.N.-brokered cease-fire that ended 34 days of Israel-Hezbollah fighting.

But Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's government came under sharp criticism from the families of two kidnapped Israeli soldiers, who said the lifting of the blockade hurt negotiating leverage to free them. Their capture by Hezbollah triggered Israel's massive offensive on Lebanon.

After meeting with Olmert, relatives of the soldiers — Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev — accused the Israeli leader of caving in to international pressure.

"This is the second time the government has acted against the will of the people of Israel," said Benny Regev, Eldad Regev's father. "The first was the cease-fire, and now it's with the lifting of the blockade of Lebanon."

But the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who visited the region last month on a peace mission, commended Olmert for lifting the air blockade and said he must end the naval siege next.

"This was an urgent and moral thing to do and is a major step toward relieving tensions," Jackson said in Chicago.

"Without the complete lifting of the Israeli blockade, there is certain to be a massive humanitarian disaster for the 800,000 to 1 million Lebanese displaced as a result of the war," he said.

Olmert on Thursday said he hopes international naval forces arrive quickly to allow Israel to lift its naval blockade.