Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit Monday urged Israel to pull out
its troops from Lebanon, the official MENA news agency reported.
During a meeting with visiting Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema, Abul
Gheit said that Israel should live up to its commitment to all
articles of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 on the Lebanon crisis,
particularly those related to ceasefire.
For his part, D'Alema said that Italian forces would join the UN Interim
Force in Lebanon, which will be expanded according to Resolution 1701.
Resolution 1701, unanimously adopted by the Security Council on Friday, calls
for Israel's withdrawal and authorizes an increase of the existing UN force in
Lebanon to 15,000 troops to help Lebanese troops take control of south Lebanon
as Israel withdraws.
D'Alema arrived here Monday evening after a visit to Beirut and is expected
to meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Tuesday.
