Egypt will continue its efforts to reach an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon to stop the killing of civilians and the destruction of infrastructure and protect the unarmed Lebanese people, said President Hosni Mubarak. In statements to "Al-Musawwar" magazine, Mubarak said following the capture of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah, Egypt contacted the Israelis to seek a peaceful solution to the crisis to avoid an explosion in the region.
President Mubarak denied categorically reports by Israeli "Yediot Aharanot" on the establishment by Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar of what it termed as a front against Hezbollah to act secretly to dissolve it and keep the Iranian influence away from Lebanon. As Egypt is keen that no body would interfere in its internal affairs, Egypt is equally keen not to interfere in the internal affairs of others, the President stressed.
Egypt has pursued contacts with the Israelis to stop their attacks against the unarmed civilians and the destruction of the Lebanese infrastructure.
We have sought to protect Beirut from wide-scale destruction, Mubarak said, noting that this would happen in case Israelis continued to strike the Lebanese infrastructure as they did in the first two days of the military operations.
Mubarak said Egypt has intensified efforts to reach a ceasefire and halt the Israeli military operations in Lebanon to avoid more Lebanese casualties, destruction and losses.
The Israelis believe that if they continue their offensive for a long time, they will have the chance to destroy Hezbollah arsenal, Mubarak said.

The Israelis linked the halt of the offensive to the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution No. 1559 on the disarmament of militias in Lebanon, he added. Mubarak said continuing the war will be of no avail to Israel. On the contrary, it will inflame feelings of hatred against Israel all over the Arab region, he added.
The President said it was difficult for the Israelis to expand their military operations to include Syria. The Israelis want in the first place to expel Hezbollah from Southern Lebanon, he added.

Mubarak said Egypt has been in contact with Syria. He said he sent Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit to Damascus to encourage the Syrians to contact Hezbollah to help contain the question of the capture of the two Israeli soldiers before Israel would launch military operations in Lebanon.
As the fighting broke out, it was important to reach an immediate and unconditional ceasefire because each party was not ready to accept any conditions unless a ceasefire was reached, he added. Mubarak said that the Egyptian contacts were still continuing with Washington on the issue.
The volatile situation in the region has dominated the US-Egyptian strategic dialogue in addition to other strategic, political and security issues as well as bilateral ties, he added.
Egypt has accepted the holding of an Arab summit, said Mubarak, calling for well preparations for the summit.
He said holding a consultative summit between a number of Arab countries would be more useful now until the holding of the Arab summit. Mubarak underlined Egypt's resolve to offer help to Lebanon to rebuild its destroyed infrastructure.
He recalled the Egyptian help to Lebanon to rebuild one of its power plants destroyed by Israel. What Egypt is urgently looking is a halt of the fighting, he said.
President Mubarak noted that the Egyptian-Arab contacts would continue to draw up a common Arab stance on the Arab issues and find solutions to the Arab crises.
Mubarak said Egypt has resumed its efforts to find a solution to the crisis of an abducted Israeli soldier in Gaza.
He said his recent contacts with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas showed the possibility of reaching a solution to the crisis to allow a halt of the Israeli operations in Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.