Islamic nations to call for ceasefire in Lebanon

Kuala Lumpur, Aug 1: The Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) will press for an unconditional ceasefire in Lebanon at an emergency meeting in Malaysia this week, the Malaysian Foreign ministry said today.

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the current chairman of the OIC, called for the Aug. 3 meeting after weeks of military aggression by Israel against Lebanon as well as the Palestinian Authority, the ministry said in a statement.

The meeting was also expected to urge the establishment of a United Nations peacekeeping force which must include OIC member states, the ministry said.

''The agenda of the meeting is to discuss the current situation and developments in Lebanon and Palestine for determining the action to be taken by the OIC countries,'' it added.

It said Egypt, Iran and Syria are among the 18 member countries attending the meeting.

At least 605 people have been killed in Lebanon, although the health minister puts the toll at 750 including bodies still buried under rubble. Fifty-one Israelis have also been killed.

The Israeli army has also killed 151 Palestinians, more than half of them civilians, in Gaza since it began an offensive to stop gunmen from firing rockets into Israel and to pressure militants to free a soldier armed groups captured on June 25.

The Saudi-based OIC is the world's largest Islamic body, gathering 57 countries with majority Muslim populations around the world.

REUTERS