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Arab states

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Israeli attack

on Lebanon

CAIRO: Arab states took Lebanon's side on Wednesday in its dispute with Israel over cross-border violence, saying Lebanese guerrillas had a legitimate right to resist the Israeli occupation of south Lebanon.

A statement approved at a four-hour emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers at the Arab League in Cairo strongly condemned Israel for seven days of attacks on targets in south Lebanon and around the capital Beirut.

The statement also called on the U.N. Security Council to put an end to the Israeli attacks, ensure Israel complies with a 1978 resolution demanding it withdraw from Lebanon and make Israel pay compensation for the casualties and damage.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Faris Bouez said he expected the United States to veto any Security Council resolution on the subject but the Arab states should press on regardless.

The statement says the Arab ministers "assert the right of the Lebanese people to resist the Israeli occupation of Lebanese territory, based on the U.N. charter and especially the right of legitimate defence against the occupier".

The ministers gave Arab League Secretary General Esmat Abdel-Meguid a mandate to follow up the meeting through contacts with the United States, Russia, the United Nations secretary general, Security Council members and the European Union.

Israeli aircraft and artillery have killed at least 34 people in Lebanon, mostly civilians, and wounded 152. Hizbollah rockets have wounded 49 people in Israel since the start of the latest conflict last week.

Israel says Hizbollah provoked the violence, the Lebanese and their allies say that Israel had already broken a 1993 agreement not to attack civilians.-Reuter