Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit said Cairo has called for an international investigation into the Israeli massacre in Qana.

In statements to Egyptian TV, the minister said he summoned the Israeli ambassador and informed him that Israel has to accept an international investigation team to probe the Qana massacre and other Israeli practices over the past 19 days.

Egypt has also sent US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice a message on the latest developments.

Abul-Gheit said he told the US ambassador during a meeting earlier today that the US must shoulder its responsibility as a UN Security Council permanent member-state.

"The US should act quickly to demand a ceasefire and enforce it," he added.

Abul Gheit said Cairo has sent messages on the Lebanese crisis to foreign ministers of other permanent UNSC members.

Egypt has also held contacts with members of the Non-Aligned Movement and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference.

On the expected response to the messages, the top diplomat said Rice has said today it was time for a ceasefire.

Other UNSC permanent members are not at all against the cessation of hostilities, he noted.

On his visit to Syria, the Egyptian foreign minister said he probed the latest developments in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories with Syrian officials.

Egypt and Syria see eye to eye on the need for an immediate ceasefire, Abul-Gheit said.

Damascus supports a prisoner swap and Lebanese national dialogue, he asserted.

The top diplomat refuted claims of differences between Cairo and Damascus, saying the truth was exactly the opposite.

On the proposed international force in Lebanon, Abul-Gheit said Egypt supports a peacekeeping rather than peace forcing mission.

He asserted a new that Egypt will not participate in such a force.