Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other Muslim leaders have demanded a halt to Israeli attacks on Lebanon and Gaza and say they wanted to strengthen UN peacekeeping forces in the area.
Wary of restive populations back home, and aghast at the toll in heavily Muslim southern Lebanon, a special session of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference also called for an investigation into Israel's "violations" of international law and demanded that the Jewish state pay compensation.
However, it was Mr Ahmadinejad, his hardline views on Israel reinvigorated by public backing from Iran's supreme clerical leader, who animated the emergency meeting as it strove to get the Muslim world's voice heard above the diplomatic din.
"Although the main cure is the elimination of the Zionist regime, in this stage an immediate ceasefire should be implemented," Mr Ahmadinejad, who previously has said Israel should be wiped off the map, told the closed-door meeting.
"Britain and America, as the main associates of the Zionist regime in its offensive to Lebanon, should compensate Lebanon's damages. Those governments should answer for their crimes in Lebanon," he said in his speech, a copy of which was made available by Iranian diplomats.
He also urged Islamic and Arab nations to cut all political and economic ties to the Jewish state.
An OIC declaration after the meeting said the group may seek to circumvent the United Nations Security Council and US veto power and take the matter straight to the General Assembly.
After the session closed, Malaysian prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the conference had agreed to a Lebanese request to strengthen UN peacekeeping forces for southern Lebanon.
"They would like to see more OIC countries participate. We support that," said Mr Abdullah, who hosted the gathering of select conference members. That appeared to stop short of the demands of some members that a Muslim peacekeeping force take shape. - (Reuters)