Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said on Sunday that Israel agreed to a statement issued by the Group of Eight industrialized nations which blamed "extremists" for the escalating violence in Lebanon.

"Israel concurs with the position of the international community, which places responsibility for the conflict on extremist elements," Livni said in a statement cited by local newspaper Ha'aretz.

"(Israel) sees the path to a solution through the release of the abducted soldiers, a cessation of rocket fire on Israel and a full implementation of UN Resolution 1559," she added. The resolution, adopted in September 2004, demands the disarmament of all militia in Lebanon. The Shiite Hizbollah is the only armed militant group in Lebanon.

"Israel will cooperate with international parties to turn these principles into concrete diplomatic action," Livni said.

Earlier in the day, leaders of the G8 countries issued a statement in St. Petersburg, Russia, which calls for the release of two Israeli soldiers seized by Hizbollah militia, an end to Hizbollah rocket attacks against Israel while blaming "extremists" for the escalating violence.

The leaders, meanwhile, also urged Israel to exercise restraint. Israel has started a massive assault in Lebanon after Hizbollah militia snatched the two Israeli soldiers during cross-border clashes on Wednesday.

Lebanon has effectively been under an Israeli air, ground and sea blockade since then.

Over 100 Lebanese, most of them civilians, have been killed and hundreds more wounded in the five-day-old Israeli offensive, while 24 Israelis including 12 civilians have been killed and scores of others wounded in the violence with Hizbollah.

(Xinhua News Agency July 17, 2006)