“The immediate one (goal of Israel) is the unconditional release of the two hostages, the two soldiers that were kidnapped, which would constitute the end of hostilities,” Israeli Ambassador Daniel Ayalon told Reuters.

To be acceptable to Israel, he said a final UN resolution on ending hostilities would have to include freedom for the soldiers, who could be passed on by Hezbollah to the Lebanese government for release.

The United States and France are still hashing out details of UN resolutions aimed at bringing an end to the fighting and for an international force to move into southern Lebanon.

The French draft at the heart of negotiations between Paris and Washington to end the fighting refers to the importance of the Israeli soldiers’ release.

Ayalon said Israel was pressing for implementation of UN Resolution 1559, which includes the disarming of Hezbollah and the deployment of the Lebanese Army into southern Lebanon.

In addition, he said there needed to be safeguards included in the resolution to prevent Hezbollah’s main backers, Syria and Iran, from shipping arms to militias fighting Israel in southern Lebanon.

Two resolutions are currently under discussion at the United Nations, one which would lead to an immediate cessation of hostilities and outlines a political framework for a lasting peace, and another dealing with an international force.

“Whether it is one resolution or two is a technical matter. Most important is to make sure that it can be implemented,” Ayalon said.

What Israel fears most is that there will be a security vacuum in southern Lebanon after a truce is declared and before international forces can arrive.

“The earlier this force can be dispatched the earlier we can leave, provided that the kidnapped soldiers have been freed and Iran and Syria have stopped their shipments” to Hezbollah, he said.

He said Israel would like to see as robust a force as possible, one not intimidated by Hezbollah, and which would have intelligence capabilities. “We don’t want to be sitting ducks for Hezbollah,” he added.

The United Nations has postponed several meetings to try to get contributions for an international force for Lebanon.

So far, Ayalon said troops had been offered by Germany Italy, Spain, Turkey, Poland and France. The United States and Britain have offered logistical support.