President Hosni Mubarak received on Monday a phone call from Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Seniora.

They tackled the Israeli military escalation and continued air strikes on southern Lebanon.
The President also telephoned on Monday Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.

The telephone call tackled Egyptian efforts to help stop the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip.
Israel launched two attacks on the Gaza Strip and Lebanon on June 25 and July 12 respectively after three of its soldiers were taken prisoners.

Up to 80 Palestinians, including children and women, have been killed so far.
Israeli air strikes on southern Lebanon killed Monday alone 36 people, including a whole family, taking the death toll since the start of its onslaught to 180 people.

French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin paid a surprise visit to Lebanon yesterday in a message of consolidation with the Lebanese people.

July 18, 2006