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Israel says 'It is too early to negotiate'

JERUSALEM: Prime Minister Shimon Peres said on Monday he was not ready to negotiate an end to Israel's five-day-old air-and-artillery blitz of Lebanon.

"It is too early to negotiate," Peres told reporters when asked what were Israel's conditions for an end to the fighting with Hizbollah guerrillas.

"The time is always right for a political initiative," Peres said. But asked what he was going to offer, the Israeli leader said: "I am not going to offer but I think that there are other parties that will offer and we shall have a good look at it," he said.

The last major flare-up in southern Lebanon in 1993 was only halted when the United States intervened with Syria to broker an understanding under which Israel and Hizbollah agreed not to attack civilian targets. Washington, the dominant power in the region, has declared unequivocal support for Israel.

French Foreign Minister Herve de Charette, dispatched by President Jacques Chirac to try to win a ceasefire, was due to meet Peres on Monday evening and visit Syria and Lebanon on Tuesday.-Reuter