If Israel continues its hostilities in Lebanon and in the Palestinian areas, this could lead to a collapse in the peace process and cause a war, Saudi King ‘Abdallah Bin ‘Abd Al-‘Aziz warned on Tuesday.
Saudi Arabia is trying to present itself as a key player in calming the current crisis between Israel and Lebanon.
The kingdom was among the Arab nations that rebuked Hizbullah for its attack on Israeli soldiers earlier this month. Observers say his comments on Tuesday might be a way to appease his critics, who said his reprimanding Hizbullah encouraged Israel to attack the group.
Saudi Arabia is participating in a meeting of foreign ministers in Rome on Wednesday, to discuss a solution to the Israel-Lebanon crisis.
Participants in the meeting, which will be chaired by United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Italian Foreign Minister Massima D’Alema, will discuss a possible cease-fire, and extending humanitarian aid to civilians who have been caught up in the fighting.
Washington does not want to see a cease-fire as a temporary solution, Rice said on Monday after a meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.
Participants will also discuss the deployment of an international peace force in Lebanon.
The meeting has been shadowed by the killing of four troops from UNIFIL, the current United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon. It is assumed the troops were killed in an Israel aerial attack.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan struck a chord in Jerusalem, when he said he was shocked and distressed by the “apparent deliberate targeting by Israeli Defense Forces of a U.N. observer post in southern Lebanon.”
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has expressed regret for the incident, but added that it was inconceivable the U.N. would depict an error as a deliberate action.
The Israeli army has ordered an investigation into the incident.