(16 Mar 1998) Hebrew/Nat

Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel was willing to immediately withdraw its troops from Lebanon.

He said his cabinet is currently discussing the issue of full implementation of U-N Resolution 425 and may withdraw, if the Lebanese government can guarantee peace and security in the region.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on Monday again repeated his commitment to withdrawing from southern Lebanon.

Israeli forces have occupied the self-declared `security zone' since 1967 despite U-N resolution 425 calling for the withdrawal of its troops.

Speaking in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said the move would not happen until Beirut could guarantee the safety of area.

SOUNDBITE: (Hebrew)
"We are completely willing to pull out from Lebanon if the basic condition of the 425 UN resolution is fulfilled, If there is international peace and security, under the responsibility of the Lebanese government. If this condition is filled we will pull out of Lebanon
immediately, if it is not filled - I do not see a way by which we can get out of Lebanon. "
SUPER CAPTION: Binyamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister

Defence Minister Yitzhak Mordechai also attended a meeting of the parliament's Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee where the issue was high on the agenda.

This promise of compliance with the U-N resolution comes after five consecutive days of violence in the West Bank town of Ramallah, where Palestinian youths have repeatedly clashed with Israeli troops.

The killing of three Palestinian labourers at an Israeli checkpoint last week sparked off the protests that have left dozens wounded.

Palestinian police intervened on Sunday to prevent the violence from escalating.

But tension remains high in the region after a pair of weekend bomb blasts that police blamed on suspected "terrorists."

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