UNITED NATIONS - The U.N. Security CouncilU.N. Security Council onTuesday denounced a car bombing in Lebanon that wounded thecountry‘s pro-Syrian defense minister as well as a Palestiniansuicide bombing that killed two people in Israel.

"The members of the Security Council strongly condemned thecontinuation of political assassinations and other terroristacts in Lebanon," the U.N. body said in a statement read toreporters by Greek Ambassador Adamantios Vassilakis.

"The members of the Security Council expressed also theircondemnation of today‘s terrorist attack in the city ofNetanya, Israel," said Vassilakis, the council president forthe month of July.

The 15-nation council approved the statement following anemergency closed-door meeting requested by France after themotorcade of Lebanese Defense Minister Elias al-Murr was bombedin the Beirut suburb of Antelias, killing one person andwounding at least 13 others, including Murr.

The statement was drafted by France. A reference to theIsraeli attack was added at Greece‘s suggestion after a suicidebomber killed two people at a shopping mall in the coastal cityof Netanya, dealing a heavy blow to a five-month truce betweenIsraelis and Palestinians, council diplomats said.

The attack in Lebanon was the latest in a wave of deadlybombings in that country since the assassination of formerPrime Minister Rafik al-Hariri in Beirut last February, but itwas the first against an ally of Syria.

Hariri was killed by a car bomb on Feb. 14 after he accusedSyria of meddling in Lebanon‘s internal politics. Lebaneseopposition politicians blamed Damascus for his death but Syriahas vigorously denied involvement.

A team of international investigators led by veteran Germanprosecutor Detlev Mehlis has been probing Hariri‘s murder atthe Security Council‘s request.

"Those responsible for such acts will not be permitted toundermine the stability, national unity, full sovereignty andpolitical independence of Lebanon," the council said.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan, asked about the bombing as hearrived at U.N. headquarters after a week of travel, said theinternational community had to "remain vigilant" in Lebanon.

"Obviously each time there is a bomb in Lebanon, it is asource of concern and worry," he said.

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