United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan visits Jordan on Thursday before continuing on to Damascus, the most difficult leg of his Mideast trip. Annan is seeking Jordanian backing for his efforts to secure the cease-fire between Israel and the Hizbullah before tackling the thorniest part of his mission: getting Syrian agreement to allow UNIFIL peacekeepers along the Lebanon-Syria border. In Jerusalem, Annan was told in no uncertain terms that Israel will not lift its air and sea blockade of Lebanon until the peacekeeping force is in place and the border between Lebanon and Syria is closed to arms smuggling. Hizbullah armament comes from Syria and from Iran through Syria. But Lebanon is unwilling to buck Damascus, which says troops on the border will be viewed as a "hostile act." Also on Thursday, representatives from sixty donor nations are gathering in Stockholm with the aim of raising $500 million for the rebuilding of Lebanon. The officials will stay on for an additional round of fundraising, this one for the Palestinians.