In an interview with the Reuters news agency, Siniora said Israel has practiced “criminal behaviour” in Lebanon and created “several little Hiroshimas” throughout the South. But he said he would accept a lasting settlement if Israel agreed to a four-year old peace offer from the Arab League.

• Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora: “Israel has to accept the peace initiative of the Arab Summit of 2002 and return all the occupied territories and renounce all acts of aggression and then sign the peace treaties with all the other Arab countries and create the state of Palestine and give the (Palestinian) refugees the right of return. Yes, (then) Lebanon will sign the peace treaty, when everybody signs a peace treaty.”