Britain tells Israel of risks of Lebanon invasion

LONDON, July 22 (Reuters) Israel should exercise extreme caution when deciding whether to invade Lebanon, Britain's foreign secretary said.

In an interview with the Financial Times published today, Margaret Beckett spoke of the ''very dangerous situation'' in Lebanon and said ''a miscalculation, a mistake could have dramatic effects''.

''We have been urging caution and restraint on Israel from the beginning and we continue to do so with ever greater concern as time goes on,'' she said.

''It's got to be a durable and sustainable end to violence.'' Israel's 10-day-old bombardment has killed more than 340 people in Lebanon and forced half a million to leave their homes. About 90 percent of those killed were civilians.

''I am sure that Israel would weigh very carefully any suggestion of a ground incursion because, after all, it took them a long time to get out of Lebanon the last time they went in and it cost many lives on both sides,'' Beckett said.

Israel pulled out of Lebanon only six years ago, ending a 22-year-long occupation of the south of the country.

''This is a very dangerous situation: this could be a turning point, and we must in the international community try and do everything we can to make sure it's a turning point for the better,'' Beckett added.

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