Captured Israeli troops 'alive'

Bernard Kouchner said he understood they were alive from talking to parties attending a conference near Paris.

Rival Lebanese groups, including Hezbollah, were in France for talks on the country's political crisis.

The capture of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev led to a war with Israel in which more than 1,300 people died.

Mr Kouchner said he had raised the fate of the two Israeli soldiers with Hezbollah officials.

"I received the assurance that the negotiations [for their release] are continuing, that they are on the right track, in particular with the United Nations," Mr Kouchner said.