BEIRUT, Lebanon - Lebanese leaders denounced 'Israel's state terrorism' on Thursday during talks dealing mainly with the disarmament of the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah.

Lebanon's 14 Muslim and Christian political leaders met to discuss the issue of Hezbollah's arms during a round-table national dialogue that was launched in early March.

Shiite parliament speaker Nabih Berri told reporters after the three-hour talks, 'The national dialogue conference denounces the continued Israeli aggression, which has reached the highest levels of state terrorism.'

'We call on the international community to take up its responsibility ... and ask the Lebanese government to work with Arab states in order to seek an action by the UN Security Council against this invasion and declared war,' he said.

Israel has launched a military offensive in the Gaza Strip in search of a kidnapped soldier. It has also threatened to hunt down Damascus-based Palestinian militants.

The ninth round of talks discussed Lebanon's national defence strategy in the face of potential threats from Israel especially after Israeli planes flew over northern Syria on Wednesday.

The issue of the kidnapped Israeli soldier in Gaza has raised international concern and prompted UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to lead calls for restraint.

Lebanese newspapers on Thursday warned 'that Israel has sent a regional warning to Damascus where Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal is based.'

Lebanese security sources told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that Israeli forces were a state of alert along the border with Lebanon.

Sources close to the participants at the Beirut talks told dpa that Israel's confrontation with the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas had taken over much of the discussions.

Speaker Nahib Berri said the dialogue had been adjourned until July 25.

Members of the anti-Syrian majority in the Lebanese parliament had said that Lebanon's defence should be placed in the hands of the Lebanese army rather that relying on an armed groups like Hezbollah.

But pro-Syrian groups led by Hezbollah, which is represented in the government, have so far rejected calls from the UN Security Council for the militia to disarm or merge with the army, as proposed by members of the Lebanese government.

Hezbollah, which was instrumental in ending Israel's 22-year occupation of southern Lebanon in 2000, says it wants to hold onto its weaponry to liberate Shebaa Farms, a disputed Israeli-occupied border area.

Lebanon has been divided between pro- and anti-Syrian camps since the February 2005 assassination of former premier Rafik Hariri that was widely blamed on Syria.

Local and international pressure in the aftermath of the killing led Syria to end its three decades of military presence and political domination of its smaller neighbour. (DPA)