Abut Gheit made his remarks to diplomatic editors on his way back to Egypt after a lightening visit to Saudi Arabia, where he held talks with his Saudi counterpart Saud al-Faisal on the Hezhollah-Israel conflict, which entered its 20th day.

Abul Gheit said that the idea of forming an international force or expanding the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) must be accepted not only by the international community, but also by the Lebanese government.

Egypt continued to call for an immediate ceasefire, said Abul Gheit, adding that he had contacted the five permanent member states in the UN Security Council in this respect.

According to Abut Gheit, France presented Egypt with a draft resolution, which said that the international force should only be deployed after Israel and Lebanon have agreed "in principle" on a framework for a permanent ceasefire.

Asked about Syria's position on deploying UN forces along Lebanese borders, Abul Gheit said that Syria intended to expand the UNIFIL, adding that such a matter depended on conditions of extending the mandate of the UNIFIL, which expired in the day.

Created in 1978 and deployed in south Lebanon since then, the UNIFIL has been committed to confirming an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, restoring peace and security and helping the Lebanese government restore its effective authority in the area.

Violence erupted in Lebanon on July 12 when Israel started a massive assault following the capture of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah guerillas in cross-border attacks.

Egypt and Saudi Arabia are both heavyweight Arab countries in the region, and both nations have been conducting frequent consultations on major regional issues.