(Rptg, fixing garble in para seven)

New Delhi, July 31 (UNI) Cutting across party lines, members in the Lok Sabha today demanded that the House pass a resolution condemning in strongest possible terms the brutal attack by Israel on Lebanon.

The House was one in its demand, after the issue was raised by Mr Basudeb Acharia (CPM) during zero hour, that Parliament cannot be silent spectator to the genocide in Lebanon and should send a strong message to Israel to accept a immediate ceasefire.

Defence Minister and Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee agreed with the sentiments of the members and assured the House that he would convey these to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said he would like to hold a meeting with the floor leaders of the House in his chamber at 1600 hrs to which Mr Mukherjee and other members agreed.

Mr Mukherjee said he would come to the meeting after consulting the Prime Minister.

Earlier, Mr Acharia blamed the Bush Adminstration for supporting the Israel attack.

He also asked the government to suspend the purchase of weapons from Israel the money from which, he said, was being used by Israel to attack Lebanon.

Mr Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI) said the House should collectively express anquish over the attack and call upon the United Nations to ask Israel to stop the genocide in Lebanon.

He said it was a proxy war by the US using Israel to bring to order all of West Asia.

Mr Vijay Kumar Malhotra (BJP) said the government had condemned the attack and should now pass a resolution.

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