Underscoring that Italy was committed to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which will be enlarged to 15,000 troops from the current 2,000, the minister said the government needed more information before making any logistical decisions.

He said Italy would deploy troops "as soon as possible" but was still waiting for details on "the chain of command, the exact interpretation of the mandate, and the rules of engagement."

The defense minister added that he was discussing the various options with his French counterpart, Michele Alliot-Marie.

France, which heads the current UNIFIL, is expected to lead the enlarged force, while Rome has offered to assume the role of second-in-command, according to Italian news reports.

The Italian cabinet will meet Friday morning to discuss the deployment of Italian troops to southern Lebanon, and a joint session of the House and Senate Foreign Affairs and Defense Committees will also address the issue, governmental sources said on Wednesday.

Latest indications from government sources suggested that Italy would send around 3,500 troops, according to local reports. About half of these will be navy personnel, while an "entry force" of between 1,000 and 2,000 soldiers will be deployed on the ground.

The Italian contingent will help support a UN-brokered ceasefire between the Israeli forces and Hezbollah guerillas following a five-week conflict sparked by the latter's kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers and killing of eight others on July 12.

Under a resolution adopted last Friday, the UN Security Council calls on Israel to withdraw troops from southern Lebanon and authorizes an increase of the existing UNIFIL to 15,000 troops to help Lebanese troops take control of south Lebanon as Israel withdraws.