BEIJING, July 17 -- The first full day at the G8 summit has ended with leaders appearing unified on the growing violence in the Middle East. They have issued three statements drawing up broad goals, but have given few details on how exactly these can be achieved.

    Delegations from the world's eight major industrialized nations worked on a statement to address the growing crisis in Lebanon. Five days of Israeli air and sea strikes have killed more than a hundred and left the country reeling.

    Views differ on who should take the blame for the Middle East situation. But G8 leaders say they are confident of a consensus and an end to the violence based on four conditions.

    Leaders have called for the release of Israeli soldiers abducted in Gaza and Lebanon, and a halt to the shelling of Israeli territory. They also want Israel to stop military operations and withdraw from Gaza. The last condition is Israel's release of Palestinian ministers and legislators.

    Russian President Vladimir Putin says all G8 leaders recognize the urgency of the crisis in the Middle East.

    Vladimir Putin said: "We all wanted and we all felt that before the first break the need to finish working on this resolution, and we agreed with our colleagues that myself and British Prime Minister Tony Blair would take the initiative. We invited our experts who worked on the statement, took the resolution and helped in its preparation, and achieved, in my view, an acceptable result, a compromise formula, which in my view is quite balanced."

    US President, George W. Bush, has urged Israel to show restraint. But he was adamant that the blame lay squarely with the Hezbollah group in Lebanon.

    French diplomats say the G-8 countries are working on a text calling on all sides to create the conditions for a cease-fire.

    These focus on protecting civilians and civilian infrastructure, avoiding pressure on fragile political systems, and deflating violence.

    Middle East concerns dominated the summit. But the leaders also issued declarations calling for strengthening energy security, fighting infectious diseases and improving education.

    Traditionally, G8 political statements have been no more than expressions of opinion. And Sunday's declaration seems to be no exception, with no details on how to achieve the proposed aims.

    (Source: CCTV.com)

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