Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is opposed to the deployment of international forces in Lebanon in an effort to end bloodshed in the region, senior officials said Monday.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan had earlier Monday called for the deployment of international forces to help stop the fighting between Israel and Lebanese militants that has been going on since Wednesday.

"The blunt reality is that this violence is not going to stop unless we create the conditions for the cessation of violence," Blair said after talks with Annan on the margins of the Group of Eight summit in St. Petersburg, Russia. "The only way is if we have a deployment of international forces that can stop bombardment coming into Israel."

Olmert does not think international forces will help the situation in Lebanon, and instead wants Lebanese forces to take control of the area of the border with Israel and wants the Hezbollah militia disarmed, senior officials close to Olmert said on condition of anonymity since they were not authorized to discuss the matter with the press.