Latest developments in the Middle East

July 21 (Reuters) - Following are developments in the Middle East.

* Two Israeli soldiers are killed in fierce battles with Hizbollah guerrillas inside Lebanon and four people are injured when two Israeli helicopters collide on ninth day of conflict

* Israeli forces withdraw from Palestinian refugee camp in the Gaza Strip after a three-day assault that killed 15 gunmen and civilians

* Hizbollah says it loses two of its fighters in clashes and that it kills four Israeli commandos. Israel says only two of its soldiers are killed

* Fighting has killed at least 312 people in Lebanon, mainly civilians, and displaced hundreds of thousands. At least 29 Israeli soldiers and civilians have been killed

* Hizbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah repeats demand that Israel agree to prisoner swap if it wants to secure release of two Israeli soldiers captured July 12

* Israel says it would welcome any help Germany can give in trying to free the two soldiers held by Hizbollah but reiterates rejection of Hizbollah proposal for prisoner swap

* U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan calls for immediate end to hostilities

* U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice may travel to Middle East next week to press for political solution to reduce fighting

* Syria and Russia call for cease-fire, France presses for a U.N. resolution urging cease-fire, Washington has refused so far to pressure Israel for cease-fire

* Israel, which has imposed sea and air blockade of Lebanon and bombed main road to neighboring Syria, says it will let aid into Lebanon to ease threat of humanitarian crisis

* Israeli troops kill four Palestinians and wound 12 in clashes in central Gaza refugee camp. Air strike in same area also kills Palestinian militant

Lebanese Forces Forum reports:

*Media reports: 9 Israeli soldiers trapped in Maroun al-Ra's village and subjected to Hizbullah heavy pounding
*Two foreign TV journalists and their 2 Lebanese assistants were seized by Hizbullah in Beirut on suspicion of spying, a Lebanese internal security forces officer says
*Media reports: 3 Israeli soldiers killed in border clashes with Hizbullah
*Annan calls for an international conference to develop "precise timelines" for a speedy implementation of UN resolutions, notably regarding the disarming of Hizbullah
*Annan urges the Security Council to take "firm action" toward ensuring peace and stability in the Middle East
*Annan condemns Hizbullah for triggering the latest outbreak of violence in Lebanon but also slams Israel's "excessive use of force" in response*UN chief Kofi Annan calls for an "immediate cessation of hostilities" in strife-torn Lebanon as he briefed the Security Council on UN mediation efforts
*Hizbullah launches a string of rockets on Kiryat Shemona