Ehud Barak, the Israeli Defense Minister, stated to Bernard Kouchner, the French Foreign Minister, that Israel could not tolerate continuing violation of Resolution 1701 of the United Nation (UN) Security Council (SC), which is seen in contraband armament of Hezbollah through Syria, Cursor news agency reported.
Barak spoke with Kouchner through telephone on the threshold of the Mediterranean Forum which opened in Paris on 6 July. The Israeli Minister stressed that Jerusalem was waiting for the action of France to suspend arms delivery to Hezbollah from Syria and to strengthen efficiency of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Barak spoke with the German Foreign Minister about the same topic.
The narrow Cabinet on security discussed the same issues on 9 July. Some observers said that choice of the time for discussions put under threat the deal with Hezbollah on return of captured soldiers.
Franco Fratti, the Italian Foreign Minister, paid a visit to Israel. during the joint visit to the region of the Lebanese border Tzipi Livni, Israeli Foreign Minister, appealed him with an unexpected proposal to disarm Hezbollah.
Livni thinks that now they really can do it, although nobody seriously accepted the dead mention on willingness of police disarmament during the adoption of 1701 resolution.