World powers start work for 'stabilisation' force

UN chief Kofi Annan, speaking at the gathering of the Group of Eight major powers, demanded a "cessation of hostilities" between Israel and Hezbollah to put a well-equipped "stabilisation force" along the Lebanon-Israel border.

Annan said the United Nations needed time and space "to make sure we have the troops -- well-trained, well-equipped troops -- to go in quite quickly."

The final hours of the G8 summit of wealthy nations were supposed to focus on Africa and global trade talks, but minds were still very much on the Middle East and the fear of all-out war.

The UN secretary general said a team now in the region led by his special political advisor Vijay Nambiar would report to the Security Council towards the end of the week.

"The sooner ... decisions are taken by the Council, the better it is. But the parties need not wait for their full implementation to start the cessation of hostilities and to spare civilians," he said after talks here with British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Blair said the force was key to ending the immediate conflict and restoring confidence.

"The only way we are going to have a cessation of violence is if we have an international force deployed into that area," he said. "This is a very, very, serious situation indeed."

Annan flew to Saint Petersburg a day after the G8 group -- Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, host Russia and the United States -- proposed the international force in a statement.

The G8 group also called jointly for a halt to "extremist" attacks on the Jewish state, an end to Israel's military operations in Lebanon and Gaza, and the release of captured soldiers and detained Palestinian ministers.

Israeli forces have been relentlessly pounding targets in Lebanon since the middle of last week after Hezbollah captured two soldiers, while the militant movement has retaliated with rocket attacks on Israeli cities.

More than 170 people, according to a running AFP toll -- 148 in Lebanon and 24 Israelis -- have been killed in the latest violence that has brought widespread international appeals for restraint.

Israel has also been pressing an offensive in Gaza after militants captured a soldier there, and scores have died.

US President George W. Bush said the G8 statement would help bring "calm," adding that "for the first time we've really begun to address with clarity the root causes of the conflict."

"I'm most pleased that the leaders came together to say, 'look, we condemn violence, we honour innocent life'."