World powers have pleaded for restraint to stop the fiercest Israeli-Lebanese clashes in a decade slipping into all-out war.
US President George W. Bush blamed "terrorists who want to stop the advance of peace", while fellow UN Security Council members Russia and France condemned Israel's "disproportionate" use of force.
"Hezbollah doesn't want there to be peace, the militant arm of Hamas doesn't want there to be peace, and those of us who do want peace will continue to work together to encourage peace," Bush said.
Israeli war planes carried out at least 50 raids across Lebanon on Thursday, including on Beirut airport, a day after the killing of eight Israeli soldiers and the capture of two by Hezbollah guerrillas.
Bush, speaking on a visit to Germany, also urged Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad to help pressure Hezbollah to release the Israeli soldiers, adding: "Syria needs to be held to account."
In the Gaza Strip, Israeli jets bombed the Palestinian foreign ministry, wounding 10 children and increasing pressure on the Hamas government over another soldier abducted last month.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, at a joint press conference with Bush, called for a "de-escalation", stressing the starting point had been the capture of the Israeli soldiers.
"The attacks did not start from the Israeli side, but from Hezbollah's side," she said.
At least 39 civilians have been killed since Israel began pounding Lebanon from the land, sea and air. Hezbollah retaliated by firing off a barrage of rockets. One Israeli woman was killed.
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas has warned of the risk of a "regional war" in the Middle East amid the twin Israeli offensives on southern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.
Russia, France, Britain and Italy criticised Israel for its "disproportionate" use of force.
Moscow, a member of the diplomatic quartet on Middle East peace, also warned against the region slipping back into war.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted by the Interfax news agency as warning of a "very dramatic and tragic" outcome to the Middle East violence.
Moscow condemned the abduction of Israeli soldiers by Palestinian militants and Lebanon's Hezbollah. "All forms of terrorism are completely unacceptable," a foreign ministry statement said, calling for the "immediate and unconditional release" of the soldiers.
"All sides involved in the current events should take rapid measures to stop the region sliding into open conflict."
But Moscow also turned its criticism on Israeli action in Gaza.
"One cannot justify the continued destruction by Israel of the civilian infrastructure in Lebanon and in Palestinian territory, involving the disproportionate use of force in which the civilian population suffers," the Russian foreign ministry said.
In Paris, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy described the Israeli army strikes on Lebanon as a "disproportionate act of war", warning one consequence could be to plunge Lebanon "back into the worst years of war".
France's defence minister also stressed that the situation could have repercussions at both the local level and for the world. "That goes much further since what happens in the Middle East serves as a pretext for terrorism too," Michele Alliot-Marie said on France Inter.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair's spokesman, when asked specifically about Israel's military response to the abductions, said: "The British government hopes that actions will be proportionate."
"We call for restraint on all sides," he added, "because in the end, this (the broader Middle East question) is going to have to be solved by negotiations."
Also Thursday, Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema said Rome had "the impression that this is a disproportionate and dangerous reaction in view of the consequences it could have," ANSA reported.
Greece called on Israel to avoid the use of "inordinate" and "pointless" violence in Lebanon, and on the Lebanese movement Hezbollah to release two Israeli soldiers.
yahoonews.comI saw the clips on the Gaza situation and the children were not hurt.Palestinians stage things for effect. Israel does not target children.US vetoes UN resolution urging end to Israeli attacks in Gaza