Beirut: Arab mediators unveiled a deal today to defuse a long-running feud between rival political factions that drove deeply divided Lebanon to the brink of a new civil war.

Under the agreement announced after two days of intensive talks, the factions agreed to relaunch a dialogue to end a paralysing political crisis that boiled over into six days of deadly sectarian gunbattles last week.

Arab leaders have been scrambling to end the standoff between the US-backed government and the Hezbollah-led opposition, a dispute regarded as part of a wider conflict between US regional allies and their foes in Syria and Iran.

Under a six-point plan announced by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem a-Thani, the rivals agreed to go to Qatar tomorrow to begin a national dialogue to try to elect a president and form a national unity government.

"May 15 is normally a day we consider a sad one because of the memories it evokes," said Arab League chief Amr Mussa, refrring to the creation of the Jewish state 60 years ago which is regarded as a "catastrophe" by Arabs.

"But this May 15,2008 was witness to an important step forward on the Lebanese scene because of the success towards relaunching dialogue."

Under today's deal, the rivals agreed to launch a dialogue "to shore up the authority of the Lebanese state throughout the country," to refrain from using weapons to further political aims and to remove militants from streets.

It also called for the removal of all roadblocks that have paralysed air traffic and closed major highways, and for the rivals to refrain from using language that could incite violence.

Source : PTI