Blair renews push for Middle East peace

Following United Nations security council agreement on a peace plan for Lebanon, Tony Blair has announced he is to visit the Middle East.

Speaking at the UN in New York, where the Lebanon resolution was unanimously agreed, foreign secretary Margaret Beckett said the prime minister's trip would take place "in the coming period".

It is expected to happen this autumn, and will focus on visits to Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Blair is expected to hold talks with the 'quartet' of the UN, EU, Russia and US ahead of his visit.

And he is set to focus on ways to revive the stalled Middle East peace process.

His visit coincides with strong pressure to resolve the Israel-Palestinian conflict, with Arab governments insisting the issue must be reassessed by the security council in the wake of the Lebanon conflict.

The prime minister's announcement comes in the wake of the embarrassing rebuff he received at the G8 summit in Russia, when President Bush rejected his offer to visit the region in a bid to resolve the Lebanon crisis.

His commitment to renew the push for a Middle East peace plan is likely to ease some of the concerns of Labour backbenchers who have been increasingly concerned at the government's policy in the region.

More than 100 Labour MPs have called for the recall of parliament in order to discuss the situation.

Blair said that "the conflict in Lebanon arose out of the desire to exploit the continuing impasse in Palestine".

"I have said before, I believe this to be of fundamental importance not just to Israelis and Palestinians but to the whole of the region and the wider world," he said in a statement.

"It is my intention to visit the region, in particular Israel and Palestine over the coming period, and to consult those there and of course members of the quartet on the best way forward."

Meanwhile, the Lebanon crisis appears to be easing with signs that the diplomatic agreement will win the assent of both sides.

The security council resolution calls for a full cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hizbollah followed by the early withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon.

It also authorises the deployment of a 15,000-strong UN peacekeeping force.

In his statement, the prime minister said it had been "tragic that so many innocent lives, Lebanese and Israeli, have been lost over the past weeks".

"We must now take the steps necessary to ensure it is never repeated," Blair added.

"The passage of the UN security council resolution is immensely welcome.

"The hostilities on both sides should cease immediately now that the resolution has finally been agreed by the whole of the international community.

"However, there will continue to be difficulties until it is clear that the combination of Lebanese forces and the UN multinational force can be effectively deployed in returning control of the south of Lebanon to the Lebanese government. This should start straight away.

"It is essential that all parties now exercise the utmost restraint and all those with influence over them urge them to do so.

"With this resolution now adopted, we must work to address the underlying root causes of this conflict. In part, this will be about the ability of the democratically elected Lebanese government to be in sole charge of the Lebanon."