STRELNA, Russia — President Bush on Saturday abandoned his earlier calls for Israeli restraint in its escalating conflict with Hezbollah, instead calling on Syria to rein in the Shiite Muslim militant group.
Bush and his aides had for several days balanced demands for Hezbollah to stop firing rockets at northern Israel with muted declarations that Israel needed to try to avoid civilian casualties as it retaliated.
"The best way to stop the violence is to understand why the violence occurred in the first place," Bush said at a news conference with Russian President Vladimir V. Putin on the eve of a summit of the Group of 8 industrialized nations in this suburb of St. Petersburg. "And that's because Hezbollah has been launching rocket attacks out of Lebanon into Israel, and because Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers. That's why we have violence.
"And the best way to stop the violence is for Hezbollah to lay down its arms, and to stop attacking," he said, adding, "I call upon Syria to exert influence over Hezbollah."
On Saturday, Israeli warplanes struck central Beirut and Hezbollah strongholds, while Hezbollah continued to fire rockets at Israel, and citizens were warned that Tel Aviv could be hit.
"The solution, short-term solution, is for Hezbollah to stop the attacks. The longer-term solution is for nations around the world and nations in the neighborhood to support those who support the advance of democracy," Bush said with Putin at his side.
The Russian president, clearly supporting Israel and denouncing Hezbollah's attacks, said he shared Bush's approach. Referring to the Hezbollah strikes, he said, "We consider Israel's concerns to be justified."
But not all of the G-8 leaders were as supportive of Israel, with French President Jacques Chirac saying, "One could ask if today there is not sort of a will to destroy Lebanon, its equipment, its roads, its communications."
Stephen J. Hadley, Bush's national security advisor, said that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had spoken several times with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and that Bush planned to continue a series of efforts to persuade Middle East leaders to use their influence to try to contain the violence.
Olmert and Saudi King Abdullah were on the president's call list, Hadley said. In recent days Bush has spoken with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, King Abdullah II of Jordan and the prime minister of Lebanon, Fouad Siniora.
