Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said on Sunday that Israel
agreed to a statement issued by the Group of Eight industrialized
nations which blamed "extremists" for the escalating violence in
Lebanon.
"Israel concurs with the position of the international
community, which places responsibility for the conflict on
extremist elements," Livni said in a statement cited by local
newspaper Ha'aretz.
"(Israel) sees the path to a solution through the release of the
abducted soldiers, a cessation of rocket fire on Israel and a full
implementation of UN Resolution 1559," she added. The resolution,
adopted in September 2004, demands the disarmament of all militia
in Lebanon. The Shiite Hizbollah is the only armed militant group
in Lebanon.
"Israel will cooperate with international parties to turn these
principles into concrete diplomatic action," Livni said.
Earlier in the day, leaders of the G8 countries issued a
statement in St. Petersburg, Russia, which calls for the release of
two Israeli soldiers seized by Hizbollah militia, an end to
Hizbollah rocket attacks against Israel while blaming "extremists"
for the escalating violence.
The leaders, meanwhile, also urged Israel to exercise restraint.
Israel has started a massive assault in Lebanon after Hizbollah
militia snatched the two Israeli soldiers during cross-border
clashes on Wednesday.
Lebanon has effectively been under an Israeli air, ground and
sea blockade since then.
Over 100 Lebanese, most of them civilians, have been killed and
hundreds more wounded in the five-day-old Israeli offensive, while
24 Israelis including 12 civilians have been killed and scores of
others wounded in the violence with Hizbollah.
(Xinhua News Agency July 17, 2006)
