UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Tuesday he was hoping for "positive" news in the next 48 hours on whether Israel would lift an air and sea blockade on Lebanon. "I don't want to raise any false hopes, but I hope that in the next 48 hours we will have some news on that, constructive, positive news," he told reporters after holding talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in the port city of Alexandria. Israel has kept an air and sea embargo on Lebanon since its 34-day war with Hizbollah ended on Aug. 14. Israel says the blockade is aimed at preventing Hizbollah from re-arming. Annan's announcement of an imminent end to the crippling nearly eight-week air and sea blockade was the latest result obtained by the UN secretary general on his marathon tour of the Middle East.