Annan: 5,000 peacekeepers on ground by end of week

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UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrived here Tuesday night and, after meeting with Defense Minister Amir Peretz, said Israel was responsible for most of the cease-fire violations in Lebanon.

He said that in parallel with the current diplomatic and political efforts, it was necessary to strengthen the cease-fire and ensure that it continued.

Some 100 Israeli violations of the cease-fire, most of them violations of airspace, have been reported to the UN Security Council, as opposed to four Hizbullah violations.

Annan, who will be in the country for less than a day as part of a whirlwind tour of the Middle East, also said that by the end of the week the current 2,500-man UNIFIL force would be doubled.

JPost