JERUSALEM, Israel (AFP) – UN special envoy Terje Roed Larsen said yesterday he was optimistic that a fragile truce ending 34 days of warfare between Israel and Hezbollah would hold.

“We discussed all matters of (UN) Resolution 1701,” Larsen told reporters after meeting Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni in Jerusalem, referring to the text which laid the ground for a ceasefire that took effect on August 14.

There is “optimism that there will be now full respect of the ceasefire and full support of the parties for its implementation,” he said.

He said he hoped that Israel would “in a near future lift this blockade, with Lebanon taking full responsibility of its borders”.

Israel imposed an air, sea and road blockade on Lebanon when it launched its offensive against Hezbollah on July 12. Since a ceasefire took effect on August 14, it has allowed some flights to land at Beirut airport, provided they had authorisation from the military.