U.S. President George W. Bush said Sunday that Israel had the right to self-defense, but called for restraint from the Israeli side during military actions on Lebanon.

"Our message to Israel is defend yourself but be mindful of the consequences, so we are urging restraint," said Bush after talks with British Prime Minister Tony Blair on the sidelines of a Group of Eight (G-8) summit.

Bush has refused to urge Israel to halt its offensive on Lebanon to punish Hezbollah guerrilla attacks across its border.

Meanwhile, Blair told reporters it was essential to calm the situation between Israel and Lebanon and that G-8 leaders would work hard for "a common and unified position" over the issue.

Preparing, together with other leaders, for the first working session at the summit, Blair said addressing the root causes was the only way to stop violence in the Middle East.

The two leaders made the remarks as situations in the Middle East spiraled into violence after Israel waged massive air raids and imposed sea blockade on Lebanon in response to a cross-border attack by Hezbollah militants who kidnapped two Israeli soldiers and killed eight others last Wednesday.

Some 79 Lebanese have been killed and over 250 wounded since Israel launched the strike, the Qatar-based al-Jazeera TV reportedon Saturday.

Lebanon has called for an immediate ceasefire.

Bush blamed Hezbollah for the deteriorating situation, while Blair said the root causes were extremists in Israel and the extremists backed by Iran and Syria.

Source: Xinhua