Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Tuesday morning that Israel starts up the diplomatic process in parallel to military operations to resolve the conflict with Lebanon's Shiite militant group Hizbollah.

"The time for diplomacy has arrived," Livni told a press conference after meeting with UN special envoy Vijay Nambiar.

But this does not meant to give up military operations to halt the Hizbollah attacks as well as ensure the release of the kidnapped soldiers, Livni emphasized.

Livni also told the reporters that while Israel would prefer the deployment of the Lebanese army in the south of the country, "we will consider other solutions put forward."

This would be a hint that Israel does not reject a temporary international force in southern Lebanon.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair and UN Secretary General KofiAnnan suggested Monday to send an international force to Lebanon to put an end to the Hizbollah rockets attacks and the Israeli offensive operation.

Livni, meanwhile, urged a complete disarmament of Hizbollah, saying that Hizbollah militia taking cover in the mountainous Lebanon-Israel border area must be disarmed as soon as possible.

Last Wednesday, Lebanese Hizbollah launched a cross-border attack and captured two Israeli soldiers and killed eight others.

Following the attack, Israel pounded Hizbollah stronghold in southern Lebanon and other targets with air raids.