G8 blames “extremists” for Mideast violence

ST PETERSBURG, Russia (Reuters) – Group of Eight leaders on
Sunday issued a carefully-crafted statement on the Middle East
that blamed extremists for an upsurge in violence and called on
Israel to be restrained in responding to attack.

After lengthy discussions to bridge differences over how to
respond to the dramatic upsurge in violence the leaders of the
world’s richest nations blamed Lebanon’s Hizbollah and elements
in Hamas for starting a crisis that has left dozens dead.

It described those responsible as “extremists” and called
on them to immediately halt their attacks.

“These extremist elements and those that support them
cannot be allowed to plunge the Middle East into chaos,” said
the text.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the G8 was demanding
Hizbollah release two Israeli soldiers it captured on Wednesday
and halt rocket attacks on Israel. An attack deep into Israel
on Sunday hit the port city of Haifa and left at least eight
dead.

“We demand first that the Israeli soldiers be returned to
Israel healthy, that the attacks on Israel cease, and then
naturally for Israel to halt military action,” she told
reporters.

The G8 statement said the return of captives and an end to
rocket attacks was needed to create the “conditions for a
cessation of violence,” putting the onus on Hizbollah to act
first to end the fighting.

The G8 said Israel had the right to defend itself, a
position that the United States, the Jewish state’s biggest
backer, has repeatedly taken when asked if it will call on the
Israelis to halt their intense bombardment of Lebanon.

But the statement added that Israel had to be mindful of
“the strategic and humanitarian consequences of its actions”
and should exercise utmost restraint to avoid civilian
casualties, damage to infrastructure and the destabilization of
the fragile Lebanese coalition government.

Merkel said that as part of efforts to end
Israeli-Hizbollah fighting in Lebanon, G8 leaders want a new
military observer force for the country.

“We are firmly convinced that the Lebanese government must
be given all manner of support to implement U.N. resolutions on
southern Lebanon. We ask that in addition to the U.N.
activities, an additional observer and security mission be set
up. That must be done through the U.N.,” she told reporters.

The United Nations and European Union have sent peace
missions to Lebanon and are expected to report back to the U.N.
Security Council on Thursday.

They may recommend an expansion of the current 2,000-strong
U.N. force in southern Lebanon.

Five days of cross-border bombardments on Lebanon by
Israeli forces and rocket attacks into Israel by their
Hizbollah militant foes have left dozens of civilians dead and
raised fears of a regional conflict.