In a declaration released after the five-hour Rome conference, the countries expressed "determination to work immediately to reach with utmost urgency a ceasefire to put an end to the current hostilities."

A ceasefire to end the bloodshed in the region "must be lasting, permanent and sustainable," they said.

The leaders also called on Israel to exercise the "utmost restraint" and welcomed Israel's decision to let aid into Lebanon on flights to Beirut airport.

But the ceasefire pledge fell far short of meeting UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's plea for an "immediate cessation of hostilities."

Sustainable ceasefire

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice rejected calls for an immediate ceasefire backed by many US allies in Europe and the Middle East, saying root causes of the violence needed to be addressed first.

"We are all agreed that we want most urgently to end the violence on a basis that this time will be sustainable. Because, unfortunately, this is a region that has had too many broken ceasefires," she said.

"We do have a way forward," Rice added, referring to UN resolution 1559, which calls for the disarming and disbanding of all militias, including Hezbollah, and for the Lebanese government to assert its authority over all its territory. Much of southern Lebanon is controlled by Hezbollah.

The conference set out no concrete steps for implementing the UN resolution, however.

"We all committed to dedicated and urgent action to try to bring about an end to this violence that indeed would be sustainable and that would leave the Lebanese government with the prospect of full control of its country," Rice said. "We cannot return to the status-quo."

Lebanese express disappointment at outcome

A disappointed Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora, who had pressed for an immediate ceasefire, told a news conference that "some progress" had been made, but "much remains to be done." He had made an impassioned speech at the talks in which he asked: "Is the value of human rights in Lebanon less than that of citizens elsewhere? Are we children of a lesser God?"

The meeting was held just hours after an Israeli air raid hit a UN post in southern Lebanon, killing four UN observers. The 15-day-old conflict has killed 418 people in Lebanon and 42 Israelis. Ministers held a minute's silence for all the dead.

"The death and destruction we have witnessed in the past two weeks including yesterday's tragic killing of UN peacekeepers compels this conference to send a strong message and to speak with one voice," Annan said at the meeting's opening. "A temporary cessation of hostilities would offer crucial hours and days for essential humanitarian tasks."

Syria and Iran's role in mediation

Rice warned Syria and Iran that it was time for them to "make a choice" about their roles in Middle East peace. The international community would work to "try to gain an understanding from other states that they have responsibilities too" in ending the violence in Lebanon, Rice said.

"Syria has a responsibility," Rice said. "And we are deeply concerned, as we have said, about the role of Iran. It is high time that people make a choice."

The US secretary of state said ministers had agreed to make urgent efforts to deal with the humanitarian situation. "We will continue to work with the United Nations and with all to alleviate the suffering of the Lebanese people," she said.

An Italian foreign ministry spokesman said there was much discussion at the talks about the deployment of an international buffer force to guarantee lasting security in southern Lebanon. Most countries at the conference have backed the idea of a buffer force, but there are differences over its composition and the conditions under which it should be deployed.

"The mandate of the security force will be discussed over the next several days," Rice told journalists in Rome. "We have asked for urgent meetings to take place so that a force can be put together."

Germans continue troop debate

In Germany, cabinet ministers debated the situation and Germany’s possible contribution towards defusing the conflict. Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her regrets over the killing of the four UN peacekeepers and welcomed Israel's decision to look into the incident.

A public debate continued here about the usefulness of a UN-mandated peacekeeping mission. Former Bundeswehr General Hermann Hagena claimed that an efficient mission in the region would require between 30,000 and 40,000 troops.

Such a contingent would be needed, he said, since no one knows the real strength of Hezbollah. If the stabilization force were to disarm the militia in southern Lebanon, it would entail house-to-house searches and require large numbers of soldiers.

The debate also entails the sensitive issue of whether German troops should be involved in such a mission. The Central Council of Jews in Germany advised against it.

"Just imagine a German soldier having to shoot at an Israeli one," said Stephan Kramer, the council's general secretary. "I think we shouldn’t make such a situation possible in the first place. My advice would be to steer clear of such an involvement."