The talks follow a week of attacks and reprisals by the Israeli air force and Hezbollah guerrillas.

Correspondents say public pressure is mounting for Israeli troops to pull out because of the increasing numbers of casualties.

But Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has denied reports there will be a unilateral withdrawal before the forthcoming general elections.

Last Tuesday a Lebanese woman and six of her children were killed in an air strike in the Bekaa Valley. Israel apologised for what it called a ''fatal error''.

But Hezbollah guerrillas retaliated the following day, firing dozens of rockets into northern Israel. The missiles fell on Kiryat Shemona and western Galillee injuring several people.

Mr Netanyahu vowed Israel would respond to the attacks after touring the damaged area.

"We can't let this pass quietly. We will react according to our considerations, when we want. And we will react," he added.

Lebanon worried by threats

The UN monitoring force says civilians are taking Mr Netanyahu's warning very seriously. Unlike the Israelis, the Lebanese have no civil defence to protect them from attack.

It says 28 Lebanese civilians have been killed by Israel this year - despite a ceasefire agreement supposed to protect them.

Israel set up a self-styled "security zone" in the south of the country in 1985 to try to shield its northern towns from cross-border attacks.

The Iranian-backed Hezbollah, or Party of God, is leading a guerrilla war to try to oust Israeli soldiers from Lebanon.

Israel said last week's air strike was intended for a reported Hezbollah training camp.

But a UN spokesman said the woman's house was hundreds of miles from the Israeli border and there was no military activity nearby.