LAKHISH: Israel warned on Monday that the Lebanese government as a whole would be blamed for any attack from its territory if the militant group Hezbollah is part of the new government.

"If Hezbollah joins the government it will be clear that the Lebanese government will be held responsible for any attack coming from its territory against Israel," Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu said.

"The moment they are part of the government, the sovereign Lebanese government is responsible. I hope we will not need such responses," he told journalists during a visit to southern Israel.

There has been an escalating war of words in recent days between Israel and Hezbollah, which fought a 34-day war in 2006 that killed more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in Lebanon and 160 Israelis, most of them soldiers.

Lebanese prime-minister designate Saad Hariri has yet to form a government two months after a parliamentary election won by a Western-backed coalition that defeated a Hezbollah-led alliance.

An official close to the Hezbollah alliance has said it expects to have 10 cabinet seats compared with 15 for Hariri's camp.

Since the election, Hariri's camp has been engaged in tough negotiations with Hezbollah and its allies over their demands to retain the veto powers they enjoyed in the outgoing unity government. LINK