The world’s most powerful political leaders have struggled on Sunday to prevent Middle East violence from expanding to an even more extensive war. As the world’s G8 leaders met, they urged Israel to show “utmost restraint” during the difficult time, and blamed Islamic militant group Hezbollah and Hamas for instigating the unfolding crisis, which has now been ongoing for 5-days.

|PIC1|Other world problems were quickly set aside as the G8 heads addressed Israel’s attacks on Lebanon, and Hezbollah’s missile strikes on civilian targets in Israel.

As the G8 investigated the situation, they concluded that the violence was prompted by the capture of 2 Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah guerrillas in a raid from Lebanon, as well as Hamas’ rocket attacks in Gaza and the abduction of a third Israeli.

A G8 statement read: “These extremist elements and those that support them cannot be allowed to plunge the Middle East into chaos and provoke a wider conflict. The extremists must immediately halt their attacks.”

The statement published was a consensus of leaders from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan, the United States, and Russia.

However, with the delicacy of the situation, the statement wording was criticised by some as being ambiguous, in that it allowed various leaders to read the document in different ways. The outcome reflected the varying alliances of summit partners with parties in the Middle East, and their conflicting views over whether Israel was using excessive force.

|TOP|French President Jacques Chirac said, “It is evident that the G8 is calling for a cease-fire.”

However, from the United States, Nicholas Burns, undersecretary of state for political affairs, said, “There was no push by any country for a cease-fire.”

The statement did demand the return, unharmed, of the Israeli soldiers, and an end to the shelling of Israeli territory and a halt to Israeli military operations.

The Bush administration, which has refused to demand Israel to halt its retaliation, said the call for a stop to Israeli strikes was conditioned on the soldiers' release and the end of missile attacks on Israel. The G8 statement was unclear on those points.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters, “We do not want to let terrorist forces and those who support them have the opportunity to create chaos in the Middle East.”

|QUOTE|She said that “first of all, that the Israeli soldiers must be returned unharmed, that the attacks on Israel must stop and that then, of course, also the Israeli military action must be ended."

Bush’s call for Israeli moderation was: “Our message to Israel is, look, defend yourself, but as you do so, be mindful of the consequences. And so we've urged restraint.”

The urgency of the deliberations was demonstrated by Russia's decision to evacuate its citizens from Lebanon. Britain, France and the US are also planning to do the same.

France’s Chirac, often at conflicting views with US President Bush, told the President “we share the same views of the issues at stake here.”

|AD|He called for the implementation of Security Council resolution 1559, which requires the disarming of Hezbollah and other militias in Lebanon.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said that the only way to halt the hostilities was to acknowledge that extremists are trying to block peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

He said, “There are also extremists backed, I'm afraid, by Iran and by Syria, who want to disrupt the positions in Lebanon and who want to create a situation of tension and hostility there.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin, host of his country's first G-8 summit, expressed reservations about Israel's intentions, saying, “It is our impression that aside from seeking to return the abducted soldiers, Israel is pursuing wider goals.”

He said it was intolerable for Hezbollah to take hostages and shell others' territory, but also for Israel to use massive force in response.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has said the developments are a cause for alarm around the world, and called upon the sides of the conflict to cease the confrontation and to ensure the protection of innocent civilians.

In a statement issued on 13th July, the head of the WCC, Rev Dr Samuel Kobia said, “The WCC strongly urges all parties to immediately stop and reverse the escalation of the conflict and all use of the rhetoric of war.”

Prior to the eruption of violence in the Middle-East last week, the summit had been expected to deal with nuclear crises involving North Korea and Iran, but those issues appear to have been overtaken.

The UN Security Council voted unanimously on Saturday to demand North Korea suspend its ballistic missile program.

World powers rebuked Iran last week when they went to the Security Council to seek possible punishment, saying it had given no sign it means to negotiate seriously over its disputed nuclear program. Iran retorted on Sunday that an incentive package was “an acceptable basis” for talks.