Reuters

RIYADH, July 27: Egypt and Saudi Arabia, facing popular anger over Israel’s offensive in Lebanon, toughened their stance yesterday, warning the United States that Israeli militarism could lead to a wider conflict in the region.

"Saudi Arabia warns everybody that if the peace option fails because of Israeli arrogance, there will be no other option but war," state-owned media quoted Saudi’s King Abdullah as saying before a meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

His remarks were unusually forthright for the world’s top oil exporter, which has called for ceasefire but blamed Lebanon’s Hezbollah guerrilla group for the crisis that has so far killed over 410 people in Lebanon and 42 Israelis.

The comments also appeared to be aimed at the United States, Israel’s ally which has resisted calls for an immediate ceasefire.

Analysts say Washington’s Arab allies, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan, fear popular anger against Israel could escalate and force them to take a tougher stance.

Mubarak took a swipe at US policy telling reporters in Cairo: "What is happening in the region is destructive chaos, not creative chaos."

Washington has rebuffed calls for an immediate ceasefire, arguing that would allow Hezbollah to re-arm and attack Israel again in future.

Mubarak left Saudi Arabia after meeting King Abdullah without speaking to the media. Officials said the talks were to prepare for a meeting in Rome today to try and end the fighting.

"The Arabs have declared peace as a strategic choice ... and put forward a clear and fair proposal of land for peace and have ignored (Arab) extremist calls opposing the peace proposal," the king’s statement said. "But patience cannot last forever."

He was referring to an initiative, proposed by Saudi Arabia and adopted in a 2002 Arab summit, offering Israel comprehensive peace in return for land it occupied in a 1967 war.

Arab governments have said that since the 1973 Arab-Israeli war they have decided to pursue peace as a means to end disputes over occupied land and the status of Palestinians, who are state-less.

King Abdullah’s comments suggested that Arab governments could rethink that approach, although analysts say there is no likelihood that Arab states would go to war with Israel.

Israel launched its offensive after Hezbollah killed eight soldiers and abducted two others in a July 12 border raid.

Saudi Arabia announced huge aid packages yesterday for Lebanon and the Palestinians, both reeling under devastating Israeli onslaughts, state media reported.

King Abdullah decided to grant Lebanon’s central bank $1bn to shore up its currency and $500mn in aid to help rebuild the country as Israeli bombardments continued, said a royal decree read on state television.

Aid amounting to $250mn would also be given to the Palestinians to help rebuild the Palestinian territories, the decree added.

Meanwhile, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has also warned that the conflict between Lebanon and Israel could sweep through the entire Middle East like a hurricane.

"If (problems) are decided through the use of force, everything becomes double-complicated," Ahmadinejad told a news briefing in Dushanbe, the capital of ex-Soviet Tajikistan.

"A storm is near in the Middle East and this storm will turn against the enemies of humanity and strike violently," he said.

"Those who sow the wind are also sowing a storm and it’s very dangerous for the region," he added after meeting Tajik President Emomali Rakhmonov.

Ahmadinejad was on a two-day visit to the Central Asian state of Tajikistan.

"Lebanon is a historically sovereign country. It has its religion and its rights. The aggression does not resolve problems, it only reinforces the problems in the region," he said.