The Lebanese prime minister has issued an appeal for unity on the eve of the first anniversary of the war in his country between Israel and Hezbollah.

Fouad Siniora urged an end to the political deadlock that has gripped Lebanon for the past eight months and said he wanted to take this opportunity to extend my hand again to all our brothers."

"Let us build on what brings us together. We have to return to dialogue and reconciliation," Siniora said in a speech on Wednesday a day before the first anniversary of the 34-day war last summer between Israel and Hezbollah that killed over 1,000 Lebanese, mostly civilians.

Siniora said unity was essential to overcome tough challenges ahead, especially post-war reconstruction, the extension of state authority over the whole of Lebanon, and the implementation of long-awaited reforms.

He called for a presidential election to find a successor to his rival Emile Lahoud to be held on time, before the formation of a national unity government as demanded by the opposition.

Possible split

Some opposition figures, having failed to force a new unity cabinet through protests, are threatening to create a second government unless agreement is struck on a parliamentary vote to elect a successor to the Syrian-backed Lahoud.

Siniora also called for the army to be strengthened to put a "final end" to the Fatah al-Islam "criminal gang" fighting Lebanese troops in the north of the country.

At least 174 people, including 86 soldiers and at least 68 Fatah al-Islam fighters, have been killed in the battles around the Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp in the deadliest bloodletting since the civil war that ended in 1990.

The standoff between the government and opposition has also paralyzed political life, since six ministers, seen as pro-Syrian, stepped down last November in protest at the government’s approval of a UN tribunal to try suspects in the murder of former prime minister Rafik al-Hariri.

PHOTO CAPTION

Fouad Siniora, the Lebanese prime minister